A complete team performance lifted the Arkansas State men’s basketball team to its first Sun Belt Conference win of the year, as the Red Wolves set a school record for points scored in a regular-season SBC game with a 109-83 win over Georgia Southern Thursday inside First National Bank Arena.
Dyondre Dominguez led five double-figure scorers with a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year. A-State (5-9, 1-1 SBC) shot a blistering 56.9 percent (37-65) from the field and 51.7 percent (15-29) from the perimeter, while out-rebounding the Eagles (1-13, 1-1) 40-29.
Taryn Todd added 20 points and a career-high eight assists off the bench, giving the Red Wolves two 20-point scorers in back-to-back contests. He was one of five players to make two or more treys, a group led by Avery Felts, who netted 15 points on the night on four made triples. Derrian Ford added 15 points and seven boards (5 offensive), while Izaiyah Nelson dropped 12 points.
A-State handed out 22 assists on 37 made baskets to just eight turnovers, with Todd and Caleb Fields combining for a 15/2 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Red Wolves also excelled at the charity stripe, converting 20 of 26 opportunities.
Also in reserve, Lado Laku hauled in eight rebounds and scored six points, while Zane Butler chipped in eight points in nine minutes during the second half.
The Red Wolves, who did not trail in the contest, forced GSU into 10 turnovers while winning the paint battle 38-28.
Felts opened the scoring frenzy with a trey – one of his three in the half. The Red Wolves never trailed and closed the stanza on an 18-5 run to lead 59-40 at the break. The 59 points scored was the most by an A-State team since Feb. 5, 2021 (59 vs Louisiana).
The Scarlet and Black shot a scalding 57.6 percent (19-33) from the field and connected on 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) from deep, while converting 13 of 14 tries at the free-throw line. Dominguez paced all players with 18 points and seven boards in the first 20 minutes, with Nelson adding 11 – three coming on his first career make from downtown. A-State also controlled the glass by a count of 21-14.
Georgia Southern scored five straight after intermission and managed to dwindle the margin down to 13, but the Red Wolves worked their lead back out to 20-plus on a layup by Todd with 13:42 to go, putting the score at 75-54. The Eagles clawed back to within 16 midway through the second half, but would not come any closer as a 6-0 run capped by a Dominguez bucket made it 94-71 with 6:16 remaining.
A score by Laku moved A-State past the century mark for the second time this season at the 4:35 mark before Butler scored his team’s final eight points on a pair of treys and two free throws, as the Red Wolves capped the contest on a 10-4 run and limited the Eagles to without a basket for over three minutes.
Eren Banks led the visitors with 15 points, while Jamar Franklin scored 13. Nate Brafford, Tyren Moore and Derrick Harris Jr. all scored 11 apiece.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State continues its four-game home stand Saturday against Old Dominion (4-10, 0-2), with tip-off against the Monarchs slated for 2 p.m. inside First National Bank Arena.
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