Photo by Ibuki Hinohara | Staff Photographer

The Arkansas State men’s basketball team won their first game against a ranked opponent in over 30 years as they defeated the 16th ranked Memphis Tigers on the road, 85-72.

The Red Wolves entered FedEx Forum after playing some disappointing games, losing to Rice and Hofstra in games they were favored to win and struggling to defeat a currently winless Jackson State squad at home. 

Memphis entered the game on a seemingly opposite trajectory, having won 7 of their last 8 games, placing second in the Maui Invitational and defeating the defending national champion UConn Huskies, who were ranked second in the country. Memphis was favored to win this game with the Red Wolves and were given an 89% chance of winning by ESPN.

Photo by Ibuki Hinohara | Staff Photographer

“This one’s so special for Arkansas State and the Jonesboro community,” head coach Brian Hodgson said. “Most importantly, I want to thank our fanbase. I looked around FedEx Forum and there was a lot of red in the building, and I know that means the world to our guys.”

The Red Wolves opened the game strong with a successful three-pointer from guard Taryn Todd, but Memphis responded with a three from Tigers guard PJ Haggerty, who also took the free throw for a Memphis lead. Haggerty would lead the game in scoring with 29 points. 

This lead was the last time Memphis would lead in the game, as the Red Wolves began to pummel the Tigers with 3-point shots and tough points in the paint. Leading the A-State offense in scoring was guard Joseph Pinion, who scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Pinion was 7-13 from the field and 5-11 from three. 

“They had a lot,” Pinion said. “We have a lot of players they (Memphis) have to guard or else they’re going to hit two points. So I got wide open shots.”

Taryn Todd and forward Kobe Julien scored in double digits as well. Todd struggled in shooting and made 5 costly turnovers, but still put up 17 points and 4 assists as well as 2 steals, which was tied for the most on the team. Julien put up 12 points and got 8 rebounds, tying forward Rashaud Marshall for total rebounds. Julien grabbed a whopping 7 offensive boards which proved key in the victory.

Forward Dyondre Dominguez was dominate off the bench, scoring 19 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Dominguez was also perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-3.

“He found himself towards the end of the rotation, a couple of two or three minute games, a DNP (did not play) mixed in there, and never pouted, stayed the course, and has been phenomenal in practice,” Hodgson said concerning Dominguez’s performance. “So when I went to him and he gave us that spark we needed, I wasn’t surprised. He deserved that. He’s a Red Wolf all the way.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASU-TV SPORTS/TRISTAN HARLEN

Point guard Terrance Ford Jr went down halfway through the game with an apparent knee injury. Ford left the game with 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal. Guards Avery Felts and Cody Head filled in for him at point guard, with Felts getting 2 steals, 2 assists, a block and a rebound, and Head getting 8 points and 3 assists, with a steal.

The win marks the Red Wolves first victory over a ranked opponent since 1991. A-State defeated the New Orleans Privateers in that game, when New Orleans was ranked 21st. This also makes this highest ranked opponent Red Wolves have beaten in program history.

“You give a lot of credit to Arkansas State, Coach had them prepared,” Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said. “They’re right across the bridge, and if you don’t understand that, you’ll never understand anything else. Me being from Memphis and knowing that whenever we played Arkansas State or one of these schools that are close, it is about a brawl, not about X’s and O’s. It seemed like they understood the mission, and we didn’t.”

A-State will return home to play the UT-Arlington Mavericks on Dec 12, and are favored to win, as the Mavericks are currently 4-5. . Memphis will travel to take on the new 16th ranked team, the Clemson Tigers, and has dropped out of the AP Top 25.

“This is just one step for us in the ladder, we’ve got a lot of good things ahead for us,” Hodgson said. “I’ve got 16 great young men. I’ve got the best coaching staff in the country, and we said it in the locker room, this is our new floor. We need to build from here and continue to improve.”

Categories: Sports