A stellar second-half performance by the Arkansas State men’s basketball team resulted in a 75-63 victory at Louisville Wednesday night inside the KFC Yum! Center.
A-State (4-7) shot 51.4 percent in the final 20 minutes and outscored the Cardinals (4-6) 46-32 to earn the program’s first win over a Power-5 opponent since Dec. 17, 2014 (69-55 at Mississippi State). The Red Wolves out-rebounded U of L 43-38, including 24-13 in the second half, while dominating the paint to the tune of a 48-28 advantage to hand the Cardinals their most lopsided loss of the season.
Caleb Fields led all players with 20 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds. Freddy Hicks added 16 points while Izaiyah Nelson chipped in 15 points on 7-of-7 from the floor with eight boards and three blocks. Nelson has now scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time in his young career.
As a team, A-State shot 44.1 percent (30-68) from the field and went 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) at the foul line, while holding the hosts to 36.1 percent (22-61) from the floor.
The Scarlet and Black forced four early turnovers and converted a pair of treys to take a seven-point lead midway through the opening half. However, Louisville went on a game-tying 7-0 run to knot up the contest at 20.
After the Cardinals took a 27-26 lead with 4:15 left in the half, Fields put A-State ahead 29-27 with three of his 10 first-half points, but Louisville ended the half with four unanswered to lead 31-29 at the break.
A-State surged out of the gate to open the second half, never trailing and building as much as a 20-point lead. At the 14:47 mark, Hicks knocked down a transition three to push the lead out to double digits, and Derrian Ford later converted a trey to make it 67-51 with fewer than six minutes to play. Louisville then pulled to within 14 before A-State answered with six straight to take its largest lead of the night on a pair of Taryn Todd free throws.
Fields buried two more at the line to run his final scoring total to 20, and then Louisville ended the contest with seven points in the final two minutes.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield led the Cardinals with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Mike James and Tre White accounted for 10 points apiece.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State concludes its pre-conference slate next Wednesday, traveling to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Belmont. Tip-off against the Bruins is slated for 6:30 p.m. inside the Curb Event Center.
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