Suffocating defense propels A-State to 78-59 win at ODU

Red Wolves pick up sixth straight win

From Arkansas State University

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NORFOLK, Va. – A suffocating defensive performance led the Arkansas State men's basketball team to its sixth win in a row, as it defeated Old Dominion 78-59 Thursday night inside Chartway Arena.

The Red Wolves (11-3, 2-0 SBC) limited the Monarchs (5-9, 1-1) to just 26.6 percent (17-64) from the field – the lowest clip allowed in a conference game since holding Little Rock to a .241 mark on Jan. 25, 2014.

A-State, meanwhile, converted on 43.5 percent (27-62) from the floor and was 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) from 3-point range. From the foul line, the Scarlet and Black was 16-for-19 for a season-best 84.2-percent mark. The Red Wolves outrebounded the Monarchs 46-43, 29-17 in the second half.

Terrance Ford Jr. scored a team-high 21 points on 9-of-10 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep, tying for most scored among all players. In 30 minutes off the bench, Ford Jr. did not turn the ball over and handed out five assists. Taryn Todd added 17 points with seven rebounds and five assists, while Dyondre Dominguez had 11 points in reserve on 5-of-7 shooting.

The hosts struck first, scoring the game's first six points before the Red Wolves found their groove. After missing its first eight shot attempts, AState went on a 19-2 run to take a 19-8 lead, making 9-of-10 from the field during that stretch. A three by Ford Jr., followed by an Izaiyah Nelson (6 points, 9 rebounds)

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floater pushed the margin out to 24-10 with six minutes to play. The Monarchs clawed back within three before the half ended, trimming AState's lead at the break to 3229.

ODU tied it at 34 early in the second half on a pair of free throws by Robert Davis Jr., who was the team's leading scorer entering the contest but scored just six points on 1-of-12 shooting. A three by Ford Jr. with 11:14 to play widened the gap out to 54-40 before Jaden Johnson (18 points) halted the 13-2 run.

Sean Durugordon (21 points) scored four straight to pull the Monarchs within 10, but a 7-0 stretch started with a Rashaud Marshall (9 points, 6 rebounds) free throw pushed AState's lead back out to 17.

Todd drilled a three with 2:14 remaining to make it a 74-54 affair, and then Ford Jr. handed the Red Wolves their largest lead of the night with a layup to make it 78-57 inside a minute left.

Next Up

The Red Wolves continue their four-game road swing Saturday at James Madison.

Tip-off against the Dukes inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va., is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

The radio broadcast can be heard on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network and the Red Wolves mobile app.

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For the latest on the A-State men's basketball program, follow @AStateMB on Twitter/ X and @astatemb on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateMB.