The Red Wolves opened scoring with a three from Caleb Fields, trigging a wave of three balls that overwhelmed the poor Troy Trojans, who was not prepared for the 5,107 who showed up for Arkansas State’s first national televised game since 1997.
By the end of the half, the Red Wolves tallied eight three-pointers, led by three from Fields and a pair from Taryn Todd and Dyondre Dominguez, who led all scorers at the halfway point with 10 points. The Red Wolves led by 11 at the half.
That lead would swell to 19 when A-State came out of the locker room hot. However, with Derrian Ford (ill) unavailable (and Fields leaving the court for a short time with an injury), the shorthanded Red Wolves found themselves on the opposite end of momentum in the second half, with Troy erasing an 18 point deficit with a 15-1 run. With more than eight-and-a-half minutes on the clock, the Trojans narrowed the Red Wolves lead to just three points.
Still, the Red Wolves kept the game in their favor – a three ball from Felts, a big block from Hicks, a big bucket from Todd. But the Trojans weren’t about to surrender, riding a hot Victor Valdes who suddenly found his three point stroke in the second half (he’d finish with a team high 16 points). With three and a half left, the lead was one.
Twenty seconds later, the Trojans had a one point lead.
It would be the only lead the Trojans would enjoyed, the Red Wolves persevered. A huge Hicks dunk, and even bigger Nelson block, and some very clutch free throws from Todd held back the Trojan hoard.
“First and foremost I’m just so proud of my guys,” said Coach Hodsgon. “That’s a really good basketball game we just swept.”
Todd led all scorers with seventeen. The Red Wolves finished with 11 threes, led by Fields and Todd. Nelson and Hicks delivered four blocked shots apiece. Freddy Hicks earned the Hard Hat.
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