Sunbelt Champion Lady Red Wolves are going to ‘The Dance’
A-State women rally to clinch NCAA tourney spot, named No. 15 seed
From A-State Media
astateredwolves.com
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Arkansas State women's basketball (21-10, 15-3 SBC) rallied from a 17-point first half deficit to defeat James Madison (28-5, 18-0 SBC) 86-79 in overtime and clinch the program's first Sun Belt Tournament championship on Monday afternoon at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Crislyn Rose led the Scarlet and Black with 23 points on 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) shooting from the floor, including a 3-for-6 (50 percent) clip from three-point range. Mimi Mc-Collister (16), Anna Griffin (13), Wynter Rogers (12), and Kennedie Montue (11) also reached double figures, improving the Red Wolves' record to 9-1 when four-ormore players do so.
A-State shot 29-for-64 (45.3 percent) from the floor, 12for-34 (35.3 percent) from beyond the arc, and 16-for-21 (76.2 percent) from the free throw line. The 17-point deficit in the first half was the largest overcome by the Red Wolves this season.
The first quarter started with both teams splitting the first 16 points, but three free throws and a triple from Montue pushed the Scarlet and Black ahead 14-8. The Dukes battled back over the final 4:30, tying the contest at 23-23 before the first buzzer.
James Madison dominated the second quarter, opening a 170 run to establish their largest lead of the contest with 3:15 to go. Rose broke a 7:44 scoreless stretch with a jumper while a free throw and two triples from Griffin made the score 40-32 going into intermission.
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A-State shot 12-for-32 (37.5 percent) from the floor and 4for-17 (23.5 percent) from three-point range. Entering the matchup, The Dukes were 23-0 leading at halftime.
The Red Wolves played catch-up with the opposition early in the third, but a pair of triples from Griffin and Montue plus a layup from the latter cut the deficit to one at the 4:52 mark. The Dukes responded with six consecutive points, but A-State added five more to keep the contest within one possession.
The Scarlet and Black surrendered four points in the final minute, resulting in a 57-51 deficit going into the final quarter.
Rose kept hopes alive in the final quarter, scoring the first six points for A-State to keep the deficit at six. McCollister closed the gap with two crucial threes while Rose delivered a go-ahead triple to put A-State ahead 66-63, the first lead since the 0:27 mark of the first quarter.
James Madison eventually took a 70-68 advantage with 1:20 to go, but Rose scored her 11th and final point of the period to tie the game 34 seconds later. Neither side could score in their final possession as the contest went into overtime.
A one-point advantage grew to five following a layup and three-pointer from Rose, making the score 77-71 with 2:58
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remaining. The lead fell to four before free throws from McCollister and Rogers extended it to seven with 1:12 to go.
Shannon and McCollister iced the game with two free throws apiece, securing the first conference tournament title in program history.
A-State Women’s Basketball to Make NCAA Tournament Debut at UConn
The NCAA Tournament bracket is set, with 15 seed Arkansas State women's basketball (21-10, 15-3 SBC) set to make their NCAA Tournament debut against the second- seeded Uconn Huskies (31-3, 18-0 SBC) at 12:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 22, inside Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.
A-State will face the Huskies on the hardwood for the first time ever, and hold a 5-9 record against Big East Conference opponents. The opponents are Butler (3-1), Creighton (1-1), Marquette (1-2), St. John's (0-1), Seton Hall (0-1), Xavier (0-1), and DePaul (0-2).
The Scarlet and Black toppled top-seeded James Madison 86-79 in overtime on March 10, punching a ticket to the program's first NCAA Tournament. Prior to 2024-25, the best postseason finish occurred in 1992-93, when head coach Jerry Ann Winters, along with All-America guard Sonja Tate and All-Sun Belt forward Shyla Tucker, led the Scarlet and Black to the NWIT championship.
The Red Wolves defeated SMU 67-54 on March 27, 1993, in Amarillo, Texas. The matchup will be broadcasted on ABC, the program's first contest on an over-the-air network.
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