BOWLING
GREEN, Ky. (2/23/12) - The Arkansas State men's basketball team held a
commanding advantage on the boards, outrebounding Western Kentucky 39-17, but a
three-pointer from WKU's TJ Price with just over two seconds left gave the
Hilltoppers a 79-76 win over the Red Wolves Thursday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The game
was closely contested and featured 15 ties and 16 lead changes as the Red
Wolves moved to 12-18 with a 6-9 Sun Belt record. The Hilltoppers improved to
10-18 with a 6-9 league mark.
Senior
forward Malcoln Kirkland led all scorers with 22 points going 8-12 from the
floor and 6-6 from the charity stripe. In total, three ASU players scored in
double-figures as freshman forward Darion Griswold scored a career-high 15 and
junior guard Trey Finn added 14.
Western
Kentucky led by six with just 4:19 left in the game, but ASU used a 6-0 run to
tie the game at 67-67 on a layup by sophomore point guard Ed Townsel. The game
would tie twice more after a pair of Brandon Peterson free throws, 69-69 and
when Griswold laid the ball in with 17-seconds left, 76-76.
Peterson
tied his career-high with 13 boards and was 8-8 from the free throw line,
finishing with eight points.
Arkansas
State led by five early in the first half, but took a 38-34 lead into the
locker room at the break. The Red Wolves held WKU without a double-digit scorer
in the first half while Kirkland led ASU with 12, and Finn had 10.
During
the first half ASU was 14-29 from the floor shooting 48.3% from the floor. In
the second half the Red Wolves connected on 7-25 for 28%. ASU connected on
31-38 from the charity stripe for 81.6% in the game.
"It was
disappointing really," said ASU head coach John Brady. "I don't know if I have
ever experienced this many close games and only be able to get one. Our team
continues to play hard; I won't fault anyone's effort or what we tried to do.
We have really played well the last four games."
George
Fant led four Hilltoppers in double-digit scoring with 19. WKU shot 26-46 from
the floor for 56.5% from the floor.
ASU will
wrap up the regular season with a trip to instate rival UALR on Saturday. Tip
off at the Jack Stephens Center is set for 7 p.m.
