Higginbottom drops 19 pts, Arkansas State women’s basketball beats Grambling

A game-high 19 factors from Izzy Higginbottom, in addition to a robust fourth quarter, helped the Arkansas State ladies’s basketball workforce decide up a 79-66 victory in opposition to Grambling State Thursday evening inside First Nationwide Financial institution Enviornment.

The Crimson Wolves (5-5) held the Girl Tigers (1-9) to only one level over the sport’s last two minutes, 45 seconds en path to successful its third straight dwelling contest and halting a two-game skid. A-State out-rebounded Grambling 37-36, however grabbed 16 offensive rebounds that resulted in a season-high 28 second-chance factors.

Higginbottom scored in double figures for the tenth sport in a row, the longest season-opening streak by an A-State participant since Jane Morrill did so in 15 straight to start the 2012-13 marketing campaign. Her 19 factors got here on 8-of-18 capturing, together with 3-of-6 from 3-point vary. The Batesville, Ark., native handed out 5 assists to only one turnover whereas additionally grabbing two steals and three boards.

Three different Crimson Wolves scored in double figures, with Lauryn Pendleton including 13 off the bench and Mailyn Wilkerson scoring 12 on 4 3-point makes. Melodie Kapinga dropped 10 factors, but additionally supplied 9 rebounds – eight on the offensive finish. All 9 gamers who noticed the courtroom each scored and had at the least one rebound within the contest.

A-State shot 42.9 p.c (30-70) from the ground and 32.1 p.c (9-28) from 3-point vary, whereas making 10 of 12 from the free-throw line (83.3 p.c). The Scarlet and Black compelled the Girl Tigers into 20 turnovers, 10 by way of steal, scoring 22 factors off takeaways.

Grambling shot 47.5 p.c (28-59) from the sector and had a pair of double-digit scorers. Phylicia Allen scored 15 factors off the bench to steer the guests, with Leah Morrow notching a double-double with 10 factors and 10 rebounds.

The Crimson Wolves began quick, scoring 12 of the sport’s first 17 factors en path to forcing an early timeout. An extended 2-point bucket by Leilani Augmon widened the hole to 18-9 with beneath two minutes remaining within the first, however Grambling pulled inside six on a buzzer-beating trey by Jazmyn Jackson to chop A-State’s lead right down to 21-15 after 10 minutes.

Again-to-back Higginbottom scores pushed the Crimson Wolves’ lead out to 10 early within the second quarter earlier than the Girl Tigers went on a 9-0 run – their largest of the sport – to make it a one-point affair (29-28) with 4:25 to go within the half. Jade Upshaw answered with a trey, then Keya Patton added two of her six factors to finish the half, with A-State holding GSU scoreless for almost 4 and a half minutes to steer 34-28 on the break. Patton additionally grabbed eight rebounds as one in every of three Crimson Wolves with eight or extra boards.

Grambling saved it shut all through the third quarter, as Arkansas State edged the Girl Tigers 21-20 within the interval. Pendleton accounted for seven straight factors to maneuver her workforce’s lead again as much as six, however a trey by Colbi Maples as soon as once more lower it to 1. Higginbottom helped the Crimson Wolves shut the quarter robust, scoring on a midrange jumper, then ending the interval on a trey to make it 55-48 after three.

A-State turned up the warmth on the offensive finish within the fourth, matching the Girl Tigers almost shot-for-shot. Anna Griffin, who scored eight factors and hauled in eight rebounds, laid in a rating earlier than a Patton jumper made it an 11-point sport with eight minutes to go. The Crimson Wolves’ largest lead of the evening got here on the 4:34 mark, when Wilkerson drained a trey to make it 71-56. Grambling clawed again to inside eight, however A-State closed on a 6-1 run to assert the win in its last dwelling non-conference sport.

NOTABLES

By scoring 19 factors, Izzy Higginbottom turns into the primary participant to attain 10 or extra factors in 10 straight video games to open a season since Jane Morrill’s 14 straight in 2012-13.

Arkansas State scored 30 factors within the paint, giving the Crimson Wolves 30-plus factors inside for the seventh time within the final eight video games.

Melodie Kapinga grabbed a season-high eight offensive rebounds.

Anna Griffin has recorded eight or extra rebounds in eight of the final 9 video games.

Lauryn Pendleton has scored in double figures in six consecutive video games, together with 4 instances off the bench, and in seven of eight video games performed this season.

NEXT UP

A well-known foe awaits A-State in its last non-conference sport, because the Crimson Wolves journey to the capital metropolis to sq. off in opposition to in-state rival and former Solar Belt Convention foe Little Rock on Sunday. Tip-off in opposition to the Trojans contained in the Jack Stephens Middle is ready for 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio broadcast will be heard reside by way of the EAB Crimson Wolves Sports activities Community station 95.3 and 96.9 The Ticket Radio Community.

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