Photo by Abigail Leggett | Staff Photographer

After ending the Sun Belt Conference tournament with a crushing loss to Troy, the Arkansas State Red Wolves men’s basketball team came roaring back into postseason play with a blowout victory over the Saint Louis Billikens.

The game was over barely after it started. The Red Wolves opened the game with a blistering 17-2 run, powered by three successful three-pointers and dominance in the paint from power forward Izaiyah Nelson.

Nelson had a huge night against SLU. Nelson led the game in scoring with 26 points, and grabbed 10 rebounds. This made the game yet another double-double for “The Big Man.”

Photo by Abigail Leggett | Staff Photographer

The Red Wolves were also aided by excellent three-point shooting. A-State shot a massive 16 successful threes in the game, with 10 of them being shot in the first half. The Red Wolves shot 16-37 from three in the game.

The Billikens on the other hand could not buy a bucket. SLU shot 11-27 in the first half, and ended the game shooting 28-58 from the field. Two SLU players recorded double-doubles. Billikens center Robbie Avila led the team in scoring with 22 points.

At halftime, A-State held a healthy 13-point lead over the Billikens with a score of 50-37. The Red Wolves kept their momentum going thanks to thunderous dunks from Nelson and continued success from three. With about three minutes left in the game, starters were pulled and the game was all over.

With the win, the Red Wolves record moves to 25-10, and they will move on to the second round. They will take on either the North Texas Mean Green or the Furman Paladins, depending on the outcome of their game on Wednesday. 

Photo by Abigail Leggett | Staff Photographer

Categories: Sports