LAKE CHARLES, La. (11/29/22) – A red-hot first quarter set the tone for the Arkansas State women’s basketball team, which opened a three-game road swing with a 102-83 win at McNeese State Tuesday night.

The Red Wolves (4-3) scored 42 points and shot over 75 percent in the game’s first 10 minutes en route to eclipsing the century mark for the first time since Dec. 30, 2015. Six players scored 10 or more points, led by Keya Patton’s 20 points on 8-of-15 from the field off the bench. The Cowgirls (1-6) could not overcome that outburst, while also falling victim to 20 turnovers.

A-State shot 51.3 percent (41-80), including 11 of 29 from 3-point range (37.9 percent), while delivering 28 assists on those 41 baskets. Izzy Higginbottom accounted for a career-high nine assists to go along with 18 points and three steals. Lauryn Pendleton tallied 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Mailyn Wilkerson dropped 12 points on four long-range buckets.

Anna Griffin just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine boards, while Jade Upshaw scored 10 points in reserve.

Three players scored in double figures for McNeese State, highlighted by 20 points from Paris Mullins. Divine Tanks added 17 points, while Kaili Chamberlin scored 13. The Cowgirls shot 47.5 percent (28-59) from the floor and made 24 of 34 at the free-throw line (70.6 percent).

A-State hit seven of its first nine shots en route to an early 16-6 lead midway through the opening quarter. The Red Wolves, who connected on 7 of 9 from the perimeter in the period, forced a pair of McNeese timeouts early in the contest and led 42-19 through the first 10.

Despite cooling off from deep in the second quarter, A-State continued to apply pressure defensively with seven forced turnovers en route to leading 64-42 at the half. The Red Wolves led by as much as 34 with four minutes left in the half when Pendleton knocked down her second trey to make it a 59-25 score.

McNeese made a run in the third quarter, trimming A-State’s lead down to 16. The Red Wolves shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the period, and did not connect from deep, but still took a 78-63 advantage into the fourth quarter.

A-State pushed its lead back out to as much as 25 in the fourth quarter, with Wilkerson’s trey at the 2:31 mark sending her team past the century mark at 102-77.

NOTABLES

• Arkansas State’s 42 points scored in the first quarter was the most in school history since NCAA women’s basketball switched to quarters prior to the 2015-16 season.
• The Red Wolves eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time since Dec. 30, 2015 (101 at Troy). It was the most points scored by A-State since scoring 107 versus ULM on March 5, 2014.
• A-State handed out 28 assists Tuesday, tied for the second-most in school history and most since recording the same number at Troy on Dec. 30, 2015.
• The Red Wolves’ 41 field goals made is second-most in school history in a single game.
• Izzy Higginbottom (18 points) has scored 10-plus points in all seven games this season. She also handed out a career-high nine assists.
• Arkansas State scored 30 or more points in the paint for the fifth consecutive game, tallying 50 points inside against McNeese State.
• A-State has scored 80 or more points for the second time this season and 10th overall time under head coach Destinee Rogers. The Red Wolves are 2-0 this season and 9-1 overall when scoring 80 or more in the Rogers era.

NEXT UP

Arkansas State continues its road swing on Thursday, Dec. 8, at North Alabama. Tip-off at Flowers Hall in Florence, Ala., is slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+. The contest can also be heard live via the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network station 95.3 and 96.9 The Ticket Radio Network.

SOCIAL MEDIA

For the latest on the A-State women’s basketball program, follow @AStateWB on Twitter and @astatewbb on Instagram, while also liking the team’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/RedWolvesWBB.