Photo by Abigail Leggett | Staff Photographer

Four Red Wolves put up double digits as the Arkansas State men’s basketball team delivered a victory over the Appalachian State Mountaineers to a raucous crowd of over 6,000 spectators.

The game was broadcast on national television on ESPN2, marking only the second time Red Wolves basketball hit national airwaves in the past 30 years. The last time the Scarlet and Black were on national television was last season’s victory over Troy.

“What a crowd, what an atmosphere,” head coach Bryan Hodgson said. “To have 6,200 people in here on a Thursday night at 8 p.m. It’s one of the reasons why I love it here.”

The Mountaineers came to Jonesboro after a victory over the James Madison Dukes, a team that handed the Red Wolves a defeat only a few games before this. The winner of this game would be locked into second place in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Red Wolves never lost the lead once they took it early in the first half, but App State fought hard to make the game competitive. A-State struggled most of the first half to drain the three. But where the Red Wolves shooters lacked, the Red Wolves big men more than made up for. 

Photo by Abigail Leggett | Staff Photographer

Forward Izaiyah Nelson scored 10 points and got 2 steals and a block, going 5-7 from the field. Forward Kobe Julien scored 17 points in the first half, including scoring the Red Wolves first three-pointer. Julien ended the game with 18 points, going 6-13 from the field and 5-8 from the three-point line.

“It got stagnant in the first half,” Julien said. “But in the second half it was just team domination. Everybody stepping up and making some shots.”

The A-State defense stood up to the Mountaineers particularly well. App State was held to just 2 three-point baskets, shooting a measly 7% from the three-point line (2-27). While standout Mountaineers forward CJ Huntley and center Jalil Beaubrun scored the most points in the game (22 and 19, respectively), only one other App State player scored more than 1 point.

Photo by Abigail Leggett | Staff Photographer

In the second half, the three-point shooting was revived, with the Red Wolves nailing 4 three-pointers. Three of these came from guard Joseph Pinion, who already had one successful attempt in the first half, making him 4-9 from the three. Pinion also led the game in blocks with two solo blocks.

Thanks to a string of successful threes and App State’s lack of success in getting the buckets to fall, the Red Wolves took their tenth straight home victory. A-State is currently undefeated at home. 

“We knew what was at stake,” Hodgson said. “We knew how good they were. And I thought our guys brought it. We continue to get better and better on the defensive end every game, and that’s going to really help us as we continue.”

Point guard Terrance Ford Jr. scored 7 points, and led the Red Wolves in assists with 7. Ford Jr. also led the team in steals with 5. Ford Jr. earned the Hard Hat Player of the Game for his efforts.

“Defense ain’t nothing but heart,” Ford Jr. said. “It ain’t just a me thing, it’s a team thing. We’re in the right position because the coaches put us in the right position.”

The Red Wolves are now securely in second place with the win, and the win moves their record to 15-5, with a 5-2 record in conference. A-State only trails behind South Alabama, whom they lost to at Mobile, Alabama on January 9th. They will play the third place Texas State Bobcats in Jonesboro on Saturday, January 25th.

The home crowd turned out in huge numbers in this game, with the entire lower deck of First National Bank Arena packed with screaming fans. The team credited the turnout in the last several games with much of their home success.

“You know, I was here my first year, and there wasn’t too many fans,” Ford Jr. said. “So to see the fans now, it’s like night and day. I feel like they give us a boost and make us play harder.”

Categories: Sports