JONESBORO, Ark. (1/4/25) – Four players reached double figures as Arkansas State women's basketball (6-7, 2-1 SBC) successfully fended off Georgia Southern (7-8, 0-3 SBC) in a 76-73 thriller on Saturday afternoon inside First National Bank Arena.
 
Kyanna Morgan led the team with 16 points while Crislyn Rose dished out a team-high five assists. Wynter Rogers and Zyion Shannon tied for the team-lead in rebounds at seven, with the latter setting a career high.
 
As a team, A-State shot 26-for-65 (40.0 percent) from the floor, 11-for-30 (36.7 percent) from three-point range, and converted 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) free throw attempts. The Red Wolves have taken 30-plus three-point attempts in 10 games this season and have made 10-or-more in six.
 
The Scarlet and Black outrebounded their opponents 35-31 and brought down a season high 16 offensive boards. The Eagles, ranked 30th nationally for offensive rebounds, were held to seven on the offensive glass.
 
A-State began the matchup with a three-point barrage, netting six treys on nine attempts in the first period. Shaunae Brown opened the scoring with a triple while Shannon and Anna Griffin split four more to take a 19-6 lead.
 
Kennedie Montue drained the sixth three-pointer before Morgan capped the first with a pair of free throws, putting the Red Wolves ahead 24-12.
 
Georgia Southern cut the lead to five after opening the second on an 11-4 run that featured five made free throws. Despite a pair of buckets from Rogers and Rose, the Eagles took their first lead of the game with 2:34 remaining.
 
Morgan pushed A-State ahead with a triple, but the Scarlet and Black entered halftime knotted up at 39-39. Nine Red Wolves scored on 14-of-32 (43.8 percent) shooting from the floor and 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) shooting from beyond the arc in the first half.
 
The third quarter saw little separation between the two teams, with the largest lead being five in favor of A-State with 5:31 and 0:36 remaining. A pair of free throws for Morgan followed by a three-pointer from Griffin opened a 62-57 advantage in the final minute, but a three-point play for Georgia Southern cut the lead to two entering the final quarter.
 
A-State held the free throw advantage in the period, converting seven compared to five for the Eagles.
 
The Red Wolves opened a seven-point advantage at the 7:10 mark in the fourth, but Georgia Southern once again closed the gap with a 6-0 run, making the score 71-70 entering the final three minutes. A clutch three-pointer from Griffin provided a four-point cushion, but the Eagles brought the lead back to one with 0:35 remaining.
 
A defensive stand from the Scarlet and Black forced Georgia Southern to foul, allowing Morgan to extend the lead to three at the charity stripe. On the ensuing inbound, the Eagles threw the ball out of bounds, allowing A-State to drain the final two seconds and secure their second consecutive victory.
 
NEXT UP
A-State hits the road to take on Texas State on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7:00 p.m. inside Strahan Arena. Listeners can find the game on 95.3/96.9 The Ticket Radio Network while viewers can watch on ESPN+.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State women's basketball program, follow @AStateWB on Twitter/X and @astatewbb on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/RedWolvesWBB.