Arkansas State men’s basketball continued its unbeaten streak at home on Thursday night, as it topped Jackson State 66-64 inside First National Bank Arena.
The Red Wolves (6-3) halted a two-game skid with the win over the Tigers (0-9) and extended their home winning streak to eight games dating back to last season.
Taryn Todd led three players in double figures with 15 points, as A-State shot 33.3 percent (21-63) as a squad, while going 14-for-19 (73.7 percent) at the foul line. Izaiyah Nelson registered season bests in points (14) and rebounds (9), with five of his nine boards coming on the offensive glass. Avery Felts added 11 points on a trio of 3-pointers while also grabbing five boards and swiping a career-high five steals.
A-State edged the Tigers in the rebounding column, 45-42 – its seventh time with 40 or more boards in a game this season. Kobe Julien matched Nelson with a team-high nine boards on the night.
The Red Wolves struck first with the game’s first five points and the Tigers making their first scratch nearly four minutes in. A-State maintained its lead until a 13-point swing put JSU ahead 24-15.
A-State answered with a 13-0 run of its own, with nine of those points coming from beyond the arc, to lead 28-24 after a Felts trey. Jackson State pulled back within one on a score by Shannon Grant, who had 16 points and 10 boards. The Scarlet and Black would take a 37-31 lead into the half, as Nelson scored before the buzzer.
Back-to-back treys by Julien and Terrance Ford Jr. put A-State ahead by double digits early in the second half, leading 43-33, but the visitors once again dwindled the deficit back down to five on a Grant lay-in. The Red Wolves maintained its lead until a dunk by Romelle Mansel (5 points, 17 rebounds) capped a 5-0 run that put JSU ahead 54-53 with 8:17 to play.
Julien then sparked a 7-0 A-State run with a trey, putting the count at 60-54 with 4:17 left, but the Tigers clawed back to within one with 3:15 left on a Grant basket. Nelson and Todd answered with two key scores inside the final three minutes to make it a 66-61 affair, but JSU pulled within two on a 3-pointer by Jayme Mitchell Jr. (10 points) with 1:21 to go.
Both sides did not score the rest of the night, but Jackson State had possession with 16 seconds left, during which a jumper by Daeshun Ruffin fell no good to end the contest.
NEXT UP
A-State returns to action Sunday, renewing its longtime rivalry with No. 16/15 Memphis. Tip-off for the nationally-televised contest against the Tigers is slated for 3 p.m. inside the FedEx Forum. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
