JONESBORO, Ark. (2/18/23) – Sophomore guard Izzy Higginbottom scored a season-high 25 points to help lead Arkansas State, which raced out to a 31-4 lead midway through the second quarter, to a 69-59 victory over Louisiana on Saturday in a Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball game at First National Bank Arena.
 
One of two A-State (10-17, 5-11) players scoring in double figures, Higginbottom scored at least 24 points for the second consecutive game as the Red Wolves claimed their third victory over their last four outings.  Sophomore guard Mailyn Wilkerson added 16 points, while sophomore forward Anna Griffin chipped in six points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
 
Although Arkansas State connected on just 18-of-58 field goal attempts for a .310 percentage, it limited Louisiana (16-12, 10-6) to a .270 shooting mark from the field.  The Red Wolves also held a 49-45 advantage on the boards and made a season-high 28-of-33 free throws.
 
A-State never trailed, scoring the game’s first 16 points and ending the first quarter with a 21-2 lead.  Higginbottom scored the first 11, and the Red Wolves shot 50 percent while gaining the early momentum that carried over into the start of the second quarter.
 
Even though A-State outscored Louisiana just 15-14 over the next 10 minutes, it opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run before going on to take a 36-16 advantage into halftime.  The Red Wolves maintained a double-digit lead throughout the entire third quarter, but the Ragin’ Cajuns outscored them 17-11 to pull back within 14 points.
 
Louisiana cut its deficit down to just seven on three different occasions in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get any closer.  Leading 61-54 with 51 seconds remaining, A-State made of 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns were led by three players scoring in double figures, including Tamera Johnson with a team-high 16 points.
 
Arkansas State will close out the regular season next week with a pair of home games, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest Wednesday against ULM.  The game will appear on ESPN+, and the radio broadcast can be heard live via the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network stations 95.3 and 96.9 The Ticket Radio Network.