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Sills keys ASU gush in 2nd half

Desi Sills
Desi Sills

PINE BLUFF -- Desi Sills wasn't quite sure what he yelled to the crowd inside H.O. Clemmons Arena on Wednesday night. But after sending his defender to the floor with a stepback and draining a three-pointer from the top of the key, the junior guard was quite fired up.

Sills scored a career-high 25 points to go with four assists, lifting Arkansas State out of a 14-point first-half hole and pushing the Red Wolves past the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 84-73.

ASU cranked up its defense to start the second half, with Sills logging a pair of blocks and Caleb Fields notching three steals while the Golden Lions shot just 9 of 27 from the field over the final 20 minutes.

"We came together and did what we had to do on defense," Sills said of the Red Wolves' second-half turnaround. "We got out in transition, got easy buckets ... and my teammates found me and I got into a a good rhythm."

Although Sills had 15 points in the opening half, it was UAPB (1-10) that really had things going well. The Golden Lions started out making 11 of their first 15 shots and had 13 assists with 2 turnovers at halftime.

Brandon Brown, who finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, was one of several UAPB guards that attacked the paint at will.

ASU (6-2) went to a zone at times to slow down the game, but with forward Antwon Jackson out because of a concussion and Norchad Omier in foul trouble much of the night, the Golden Lions kept driving, taking a 48-38 advantage into the half.

"I don't know who those kids were," Red Wolves Coach Mike Balado said of his team's sluggish start. "But our team played a phenomenal game in the second half. We came back, we made them turn the ball over. ... [Our guys] realized we were running in mud and talked amongst themselves at halftime."

ASU busted out with a 10-3 spurt in less than three minutes, slicing the deficit to a single possession in the first 2:34. And though UAPB was able to fend off the visitors for five more minutes, Sills' three-pointer put the Red Wolves ahead for the first time since ASU led 6-4 in the opening minutes.

The Red Wolves wouldn't trail again.

"I've got to get back to the drawing board and figure out why we can't compete and defend for 40 minutes," Golden Lions Coach Solomon Bozeman said. "It's mental. ... I've got to be better and at the end of the day, it starts with me."

Sills, who transferred from the University of Arkansas after last season, wasn't alone in powering ASU's late surge. Marquis Eaton scored 22 points and Omier finished with yet another double-double, putting in 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds -- 11 of which came in the first half.

But with UAPB back in its home gym for only the second time this season, the visiting Red Wolves needed some juice.

Sills brought plenty of it.

"You don't want to go through [adversity] ever, but if you in the nonconference, it gets you prepared for conference play," Balado said. "One thing is being down 14 at home -- you're kind of comfortable being at home. Doing it on the road in that environment was even a bigger win."

WOMEN

UTAH STATE 66, ARKANSAS STATE 65

Kaylin Randhawa hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to lift the Aggies over the Red Wolves at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah.

ASU (4-6) used a 15-1 run in the third quarter to build a 57-47 advantage entering the fourth. But Utah State opened the final quarter on a 9-0 run. With less than a minute left, Randhawa made three free thows and hit a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 63-63.

Free throws by Mailyn Wilkerson and Lauryn Pendleton gave ASU a 65-63 lead before Randhawa hit the three-pointer as the shot clock was winding down. Pendleton missed a short jumper at the buzzer.

Jade Upshaw had career bests of 17 points and 7 rebounds to lead ASU. Morgan Wallace had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Pendleton finished with 13 points and Wilkerson added 11.

Adryana Quezada led the Aggies (5-3) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Randhawa added 15 points.

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