JONESBORO -- On Thursday, Coach Mike Balado said Arkansas State University learned how to remain firm against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's pressure defense after seeing it weeks ago in an 84-83 road victory in Little Rock.
ASU flipped the script Saturday and unleashed its own full-court press for a majority of a 72-65 victory at First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro, in which the Red Wolves led UALR for 31:46 of the game.
The Red Wolves (12-15, 6-8 Sun Belt Conference) completed a season sweep of the Trojans (10-17, 5-9), and ASU is 5-1 against UALR in the past six games.
"It means everything, especially to the state of Arkansas," said ASU senior guard Ty Cockfield, who scored a game-high 25 points and went 12 for 12 at the free-throw line. "That's who we play for."
ASU forced UALR into 16 turnovers and wore out a Trojans' roster that's been depleted by injuries and cannot afford fatigue or foul trouble.
"That is what it was for," Balado said. "I knew it was going to be hard to turn them over. We just wanted to kind of wear them out."
Making matters worse, UALR missed 16 layups or dunks, and fouling became a real problem because ASU wasn't missing from the free-throw line. The Red Wolves went 27 for 37 from the line and scored 14 points off UALR's turnovers.
"You're missing [16] bunnies at the rim and turning the basketball over, you're not going to win," UALR Coach Darrell Walker said.
UALR starting sophomore guard Jaizec Lottie was held out of Saturday's game because of a hand injury. Junior guard Ryan Pippins and freshman point guard Markquis Nowell are each recovering from ankle injuries and are not yet their fittest selves, Walker said, but they played.
Despite those struggles, UALR still had a chance.
After entering halftime behind 34-31, UALR trailed by nine points with 11:42 remaining before dialing up its press, hoping to revive the same late-game, comeback magic from Feb. 2's one-point loss.
On that day, UALR used a 35-14 second-half run to tie the contest. This time, ASU wasn't letting go.
A pair of three-pointers from UALR junior Rayjon Tucker -- who finished with 24 points on 17 shot attempts -- and Nowell carved ASU's lead from nine points to three with 10:15 remaining.
ASU inflated a 50-47 lead to 11 points when UALR missed eight consecutive shots before freshman center Nikola Maric scored on a layup with 4:27 remaining to cut the lead to 60-51. UALR would get no closer than six points with 25 seconds remaining.
"We tried," Walker said. "We had our chances and got it to three. I know there was a stretch in the second half where we turned the ball over at least five or six times in a row, and I think that lead went from two to about 10."
ASU senior guard Grantham Gillard had 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior forward Tristin Walley had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Maric fouled out for a seventh time this season with 16 points and 3:33 remaining. He was tied with Tucker for a team-high 16 points at the time of his final foul.
Starting freshman forward Kamani Johnson, the point of UALR's full-court press whose long arms and active hands troubled ASU ball-handlers in their first meeting, also fouled out with 2:41 remaining. Tucker fouled out with 22 seconds left.
"Give them credit," Walker said. "They beat us."
Sports on 02/24/2019