Arkansas – The Arkansas State men’s basketball team defeated Texas State 80-65 on Saturday afternoon to maintain their undefeated record inside First National Bank Arena, thanks to a combined 36 points and eight 3-pointers from Derrian Ford and Joseph Pinion.
The Red Wolves (16-5, 7-2 SBC) converted an even 50 percent from the field on 29-of-58 and sunk 11 from beyond the arc, including four each from Ford and Pinion. Pinion contributed 17 points and three steals, while Ford led A-State with a season-high 19. In addition to extending A-State’s home winning streak to 14 games since the previous season, the 15-point victory tied a 14-game run that began on February 26, 1990, and ended on March 14, 1991. It was the biggest margin of victory by either team in the series.
After forcing the Bobcats (12-9, 5-4) into 17 turnovers—tying their season-high number—A-State scored 20 points. The Scarlet and Black grabbed 11 steals on defense and contributed 19 assists on its 29 made shots.
With 12 points, Taryn Todd became the 13th player to score in double figures in a single game, joining Ford and Pinion. At point, Terrance Ford Jr. maintained his lead, dishing out eight assists in addition to eight points and four steals.
More over two minutes into the game, Pinion gave the home team the lead with a three-pointer. Tylan Pope, who finished with 19 points for Texas State, then made a basket to give the visitors an 8-5 advantage. With less than ten minutes left in the half, the Bobcats rallied to take a 21-17 lead as Ford’s 3-pointer started a 10-0 run that gave the Red Wolves the upper hand. Coleton Benson (15 points) made two free throws to give Texas State its biggest lead of the day, five points, but Pinion and Ford teamed for an 8-3 run to knot the score at 30 with two minutes remaining before halftime.
Texas State led by four points after foul throws from Benson and Joshua O’Garro, who finished first among all players with 21 points. However, the Red Wolves ended the quarter with six consecutive points, topped by a Pinion trey that placed A-State ahead 36-34 at the half.
The Scarlet and Black eventually gained the upper hand after Pinion’s game-ending goal. They started the second half on an 8-2 run that was ended by a lay-in from Kobe Julien (9 points) to make it 44-36. Julien’s 3-pointer subsequently extended A-State’s lead to double digits, and with just over 12 minutes left, Todd’s four-pointer made it a 13-point contest.
Felts joined the perimeter party with a three-pointer with 10:23 left, extending A-State’s advantage to 66-50. At 2:12, Todd found Nelson for a slam, giving the Red Wolves their biggest lead of the match, 17 points. Nelson finished the day with another jam in less than 30 seconds after Pope responded with two points.
Arkansas State will now focus on its second four-game road trip of the season, which starts against Southern Miss on Wednesday. ESPN+ will kick off the game against the Golden Eagles at 7 p.m. from Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Red Wolves mobile app and the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network both carry the radio broadcast.
