JONESBORO — South Alabama learned Monday night that Arkansas State is more than just Devin Carter.
Deven Simms scored 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, leading Arkansas State to a 74-62 victory over South Alabama on Monday night, the Red Wolves’ second consecutive victory to remain undefeated at the Convocation Center this season.
Simms took control Monday rather than Carter, who scored 56 points in two games against South Alabama last season, and said he was ready as soon as he saw an announced crowd of 4,440 at the Convocation Center.
“All through the day, [students] were handing out flyers, saying they were going to be there,” Simms said. “So I was pumped from the get-go. Everybody was pumped from the get-go, so we just wanted to come out with a lot of energy.”
Simms had 15 points and six rebounds as ASU (14-6, 5-2 Sun Belt Conference) dominated the first half and led 45-31 at the break. They took control with an 18-3 run for a 39-25 lead with 3:24 left, and Tamas Bruce ignited the student-heavy crowd with a one-handed alley-oop dunk with 2:44 left to make it 41-27 lead.
“I wanted to be like Le-Bron,” Bruce said, referring to NBA star LeBron James. “Coach had a wonderful call. He said they were sleeping, so we were going to throw it up. When Donte [Thomas] threw it up, I’m not going to lie, I thought I couldn’t get it, but I got high enough and grabbed it.”
ASU shot 57.1 percent (20 of 35) from the floor in the first half, including four three-point plays, But the Red Wolves cooled off to begin the second half, going 7:12 without a score and 8:52 without a field goal. South Alabama (9-11, 2-5) cut it to 45-41 during the drought, using an 11-0 run from the end of the first half.
“That’s all we talked about at halftime,” ASU Coach Grant McCasland said. “It was all about the first 3-5 minutes, and we knew it. They made some tough shots, and they changed the way they played a little bit. They made it a little simpler, and they just decided they were going to drive us.”
Simms snapped both dry spells with two free throws at the 13:08 mark and a basket with 11:38 to go to give ASU a 49-43 lead. The field goal helped spark an 8-4 run, pushing the lead to 57-47 with 8:26 left.
“You can tell when he’s engaged with what’s going on and when he’s just trying to fit in,” McCasland said of Simms. “We don’t need him to fit in. We need him to be aggressive and have that mentality that you attack until you get resistance and then you make a simple play.”
The Jaguars fought back to make it 57-53 before Carter hit a three-pointer to end a 6-0 spurt. South Alabama cut the margin 60-56 and trailed by five twice before ASU’s Rashad Lindsey hit a three-pointer and a bucket off a steal on back-to-back possessions to make it 69-59 and ignite a 10-1 run that made it 74-60, capped by Bruce’s backcourt steal and dunk with 2:05 left.
Bruce and Carter finished with 13 points each, and Lindsey added 10. Thomas had 9 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds.
“Donte Thomas did a good job of commanding the game the entire time,” McCasland said. “They [South Alabama] do a good job of putting ball pressure on you in those ball screens, and he made good decisions all game long. I thought he was tremendous.”
SWAC WOMEN
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 64,
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 47
Destiny Brewton scored 14 points as Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-12, 2-4 SWAC) defeated Prairie View A&M (7-12, 2-5) at the H.O. Clemmons Arena in Pine Bluff.
Brewton was one of three Lady Lions to score at least 10 points.
Niya Head finished with 10 points and eight rebounds while Shawntayla Harris added 10 points for UAPB.
The Lady Lions trailed 31-27 at halftime but outscored the Lady Panthers 37-16 in the second half. UAPB outscored Prairie View A&M 18-7 third quarter to take a 45-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
Dominique Newman and Alexus Parker each had 13 points for Prairie View. Jeronia Allen scored 12 points, and La’Sha Haynes added a game-high 12 rebounds.
SWAC MEN
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 71,
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 68, 2OT
PINE BLUFF — Arkansas-Pine Bluff needed an extra 10 minutes to end its three-game losing streak Monday night. Joe’Randle Toliver’s three-pointer with 10 seconds left in the second overtime finally gave UAPB (5-16, 4-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) what it needed to finish off Prairie View A&M (6-15, 3-4) on Monday night at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
The Golden Lions could have ended the game sooner when Charles Jackson missed the second of two free throws with 7 seconds left in regulation to leave the game tied at 55-55. UAPB trailed 63-59 with 32 seconds left in the first overtime. Trent Steen made two free throws and Kennedy McKinney made a layup with 17 seconds to tie it, but McKinney missed an ensuing free throw that would have given UAPB the lead. Jackson made a three-pointer and McKinney a jumper in the second overtime before Toliver’s game-winner. Jackson had 27 points to lead UAPB, and McKinney added 10.
Sports on 01/24/2017