Red Wolves Roll Past Northern Arizona
JONESBORO, Ark. (11/16/08) — Junior guard Ebonie Jefferson led a balanced Arkansas State attack with 12 points as the Red Wolves improved to 2-0 on the season with a 71-40 victory over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0-2) Sunday afternoon at the ASU Convocation Center.
Twelve players scored for Arkansas State, including 10 in the first half as the Red Wolves took control early to lead 44-20 at the half.
Arkansas State held Northern Arizona to just 29.2 percent shooting from the floor, forcing 23 turnovers while limiting NAU to just six assists on the day.
“I’m certainly pleased when we get a big-margin win,” said ASU head coach Brian Boyer. “We got a run right in the mid-part of the first half to really give us a big margin, then did a good job of sustaining that margin and actually building on it in the second half.”
Leading 21-14 with just under eight minutes to play in the first half, the Red Wolves went on a 17-2 run to take command at 38-16 with 3:44 remaining before the break. A three-pointer from junior LaDe’Sha Stoudemire 18 seconds before halftime gave the Red Wolves their 24-point lead at the half, and Arkansas State would lead by as many as 34 in the second half.
Jefferson’s 12 points came on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and a pair of free throws. The Red Wolves also got nine points from freshman Elyseia Dunn, eight from junior Veronica Smith and eight from freshman Shania Hurst. Senior Brittney Hiles added six points, as did juniors Lyndsay Schlup and Jazmine Taylor, and sophomore Sherina Scott. Stoudemire, senior Caroline Starr and freshman Meghan Lewis all chipped in three points and freshman Linsay Henke wrapped up the ASU scoring with a single point.
Schlup and Smith led ASU on the boards with seven rebounds each while Jefferson and Taylor each notched three steals.
Senior Janelle Matthews led NAU with 11 points.
The Red Wolves will see their first road action of the season next week, traveling to Carbondale, Ill., Nov. 19 for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Salukis of Southern Illinois, then to Springfield, Mo., Nov. 23 for a 2:05 p.m. game against the Bears of Missouri State.
Southern Illinois Holds Off ASU Rally
CARBONDALE, Ill. (10/19/08) - Down by 19 with 12 minutes to play, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (2-1) rallied to within a bucket at 76-74 with 47 seconds remaining, but the Southern Illinois Salukis (2-0) held on for a 79-76 victory Wednesday night at SIU Arena in the first-ever meeting between the two schools in women's basketball.
Junior Veronica Smith, sophomore Shay Scott and freshman Shania Hurst all scored 13 points to lead Arkansas State and junior Ebonie Jefferson added 12, but the Salukis got 26 points and 11 rebounds from sophomore forward Katrina Swingler, who hit 8-of-12 shots from the floor and 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
Southern Illinois hit 25-of-30 free throws while ASU connected on 19-of-30 from the line, and the Salukis out-rebounded ASU 41-39, including a 25-14 advantage in the first half to help the Salukis go up 47-29 at the break.
"We didn't play very well in the first half on both ends of the court," said ASU head coach Brian Boyer. "Offensively we had too many turnovers, and defensively we gave up 47 points and I can't remember the last time we did that."
"The second half was very good with great energy, and the execution was good enough to win the game," added Boyer. "We gave ourselves more than enough of a chance in the second half, but in the end, we kind of got what we deserved because of the way we played in the first half."
After turning the ball over 13 times in the first 20 minutes, ASU committed just four turnovers in the second half as the Red Wolves began to chip away at the Saluki lead.
A three-pointer from Hurst with 6:30 to play cut the Saluki lead to single digits at 67-58, and from there Arkansas State continued close the gap, pulling to within four at 76-72 on another three-pointer from Hurst with 1:20 remaining.
Following a steal from ASU junior forward Lyndsay Schlup, Jefferson scored on a put-back with 47 seconds to play to cut the SIU lead to 76-74, but Southern Illinois freshman Olivia Lett banked in a bucket with the shot clock winding down to give the Salukis a two-possession, 78-74 lead with 19 seconds to play.
Arkansas State came up short on its next possession and the Salukis were able to hold on from there to grab the win.
Smith led the Red Wolves on the boards with 10 rebounds, with Scott adding eight, while Jefferson added a career-high six steals.
The Red Wolves will return to action Sunday, Nov. 23 when Arkansas State travels to Springfield, Mo. to take on the Bears of Missouri State. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.