A-State women roll past Central Baptist 85-39

JONESBORO, Ark. (1/4/21) – Arkansas State’s women’s basketball team opened 2021 on a high note, topping in-state foe Central Baptist College 85-39 on Monday night at First National Bank Arena.

Four players scored in double figures for A-State (5-1), as the Red Wolves posted their best start to the season since the 2003-04 campaign (7-0). Peyton Martin led the way with a game-high 19 points and six rebounds while Karolina Szydlowska notched her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. Jireh Washington added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Mattie Hatcher tallied a career-best 11 points off the bench.

“We got better tonight,” head coach Matt Daniel said. “We got to work on rotations and they let me mold them a little bit like clay tonight, and we were able to work on some different things, which was really good. I’m really proud of the resiliency our group has had, especially considering everything that’s going on.”

A-State held the Mustangs to 11 points or fewer in all four quarters and won the rebounding battle 56-44 while forcing 16 turnovers and giving up just four. The Red Wolves shot 44.3 percent from the field on 35 of 79 shooting and handed out 24 assists for an assist percentage of 68.8 percent.

Izzy Arnold, Alaina Ellis and Holly Allen each scored 10 points for the Mustangs, while Ellis grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. The Scarlet and Black limited CBC to just 16 of 67 shooting (23.9 percent).

After CBC scored the game’s opening basket, A-State went on a 10-0 run to lead 10-2 until a three by Allen made it 10-5. The Red Wolves outscored the Mustangs 8-4 to close out the opening quarter with an 18-9 lead.

An early layup by Macey Decker cut A-State’s lead to 18-11, but the Red Wolves charged out to a 12-0 run until a three by Hatcher with 6:36 left in the half forced CBC to call a timeout. A three by Hilani Cantone capped off the 15-0 run, as Arnold knocked down a deep ball at the 4:44 mark. The Red Wolves outscored the Mustangs 11-5 the rest of the half to lead 44-19 at the break.

The Red Wolves continued to pile onto its lead in the third, going on a 14-2 run in the last five minutes to lead 68-30 after three. A-State outscored CBC 17-9 in the final quarter en route to the 46-point triumph. The Red Wolves have limited foes to 46 points or less in each of their last four victories.

A-State turns its attention to Sun Belt Conference play, opening Friday at 6 p.m. versus Texas State. The Red Wolves will then take on the Bobcats in the second half of the two-game series on Saturday at 4 p.m. The broadcast of both games can be watched live on ESPN+ while the radio broadcast can be heard on 95.3/96.9 The Ticket.

Five Things To Note:

• Arkansas State forced double-digit turnovers for the sixth consecutive game to open the season, 16 or more for the sixth straight game.
• A-State’s 56 rebounds marks the third time in the last four games the Red Wolves have notched 55 or more boards.
• Jireh Washington scored in double figures for the 15th time in the last 17 games.
• Peyton Martin scored in double digits for the 50th time in her career.
• Karolina Szydlowska recorded her first career double-double, notching 10 points and 11 rebounds

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.