JONESBORO, Ark. (2/2/23) – Although the Arkansas State men’s basketball team got strong performances from true freshmen Terrance Ford Jr. and Izaiyah Nelson with 21 points and a double-double, respectively, it couldn’t overcome a South Alabama squad that shot 56 percent in an 82-62 setback Thursday night at First National Bank Arena.
 
Scoring in double figures for the 11th time this season, Ford finished with his second highest point total this season to lead A-State (9-15, 1-10).  Nelson came off the bench to collect his first career double-double with 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
 
Arkansas State ended the night with a .379 shooting percentage, while South Alabama (10-13, 4-7) scored 46 points in the paint and made 7-of-19 three-pointers to complete each half with at least a .500 overall mark from the field.
 
The Jaguars never trailed, taking a double-digit lead at 20-9 midway through the first half.  The margin reached as much as 17 before they took a 44-30 lead into the break.
 
The Red Wolves scored the first five points of the second half to pull back within nine, 44-35, but the visitors responded with 10-1 run to make the score 54-36 at the 16:10 mark.  A-State was unable to get closer than 16 the rest of the way.
 
Arkansas State held a slight 33-31 advantage on the boards and took advantage of 13 offensive rebounds it turned into 18 second-chance points, but made just two shots from beyond the arc and finished the outing with eight fewer made buckets despite taking five more shots.
 
A-State returns to action Saturday, Feb. 4, with a 2:00 p.m. home game against Coastal Carolina.  The contest will appear on ESPN+, and every A-State men’s basketball game can be heard live on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network, including flagship station 107.9 FM in the Northeast Arkansas area.