PHOTO COURTESY OF A-STATE ATHLETICS

The Arkansas State Red Wolves fell just short of the conference title and the berth in the NCAA Tournament, as they lost to Troy 94-81.

A-State struggled to score in much of the first half thanks to both teams running into plenty of foul trouble. There were a combined 46 fouls in the game, with A-State getting 26 of those.

Although they trailed in the majority of the first half, the Red Wolves managed to take the lead after a late three from shooting guard Derrian Ford. A-State held this lead until there was about six minutes left in the second half. Trojans guard Tayton Conerway proceeded to make short work of the Red Wolves. Conerway was Sun Belt Player of the Year, and was also the player of the game, scoring 21 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing 3 assists.

For the A-State starters, point guard Terrance Ford Jr. led in scoring with 11 points, and also led in assists with 7. Center Izaiyah Nelson struggled in the first half and only got 5 points, but he did manage to lead the Red Wolves in rebounds with 10.

The Red Wolves starters were outscored by two players coming off the bench. Small forward Dyondre Dominguez went off for 19 points, 5 rebounds and was able to deny the Trojans consistently by racking up 4 blocks. Shooting guard Derrian Ford was a force to be reckoned with for A-State, gaining 17 points by shooting 3-6 from three and 5-9 from the field. Ford also got 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Ford also bloodied his nose halfway through the second half, but managed to shrug it off and continue to play.

With the loss, A-State is more than likely eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. The Red Wolves will have to continue to wait on their return to March Madness, which they have not made since 1999. With the changes to the tournament format of the National Invitational Tournament, the likelihood of A-State making the NIT is uncertain. The most likely postseason tournament for the Red Wolves to make will be the College Basketball Invitational, which the Red Wolves made last season and appeared in the semifinals. The field for all tournaments will be set on Sunday, March 16.

Categories: Sports