Photo by ARKANSAS STATE ATHLETICS

Sophomore guard #24 Lauryn Pendleton dribbling down the court.

The Arkansas State women’s basketball team lost to Louisiana Lafayette 49-48 in overtime.

The game came down to the final six seconds on a shot by A-State, which could have been a game-winner, that was rimmed out. 

This past Saturday, the Lady Red Wolves fought through adversity the entire game, especially in the first half. They were down by double-digits at halftime and tied the game in the fourth quarter. Sophomore guard #24 Lauryn Pendleton drilled a jump-shot with nine seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. 

“These kids are prepared for every game. We tell them what is coming, and they know what is coming. It is a heart issue. You have to have the heart and toughness to do what your coaches are asking you to do. Period,” Head Coach Destinee Rogers said.

That is what Rogers said last week following the loss to Southern Miss. It seems like this quote stood out for this team as they had the heart and determination to win at all costs against Louisiana.

Although the team has lost eight of their last 10 games, to have a coach who can give the mindset of a winner is key. 

Sophomore guard #23 Izzy Higginbottom led Arkansas State with 12 points and only played 27 minutes, compared to the other starters playing 29 or more. 

Redshirt sophomore forward/guard #2 Leilani Augmon made a name for herself as she had 8 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, while playing 37 minutes. Maybe there is a chance she plays more in the future, and even gets to start. 

The biggest issue for the Red Wolves was shooting. They shot 20-59 (33.9%) from field-goal range. They were 12.5% from three-point range. These numbers have to go up in order to win, although Arkansas State was perfect from the free-throw line. Louisiana was only 50% from the free-throw line. 

Defense was a whole other story. They forced 22 turnovers and held the perimeter shooting to just 8.3% for the Ragin’ Cajuns. A-State also won the battle 7-6.

Overtime was a battle of its own on defense. Louisiana only had a layup and a free-throw to make it 49-46. Then, Augmon made a layup to minimize the Ragin’ Cajun’s lead 49-48. 

As mentioned previously, Pendleton’s shot was the last shot for A-State as it rimmed out, and time expired. 

A disappointing loss, but a learning experience for this young team. 

They are now at a 6-13 record. The team has 10 games left to improve their record. 

The Lady Red Wolves will look to bounce back as they have back-to-back home games on Thursday at 7 p.m on ESPN+ and Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

Categories: Sports