Late Rally Falls Short as A-State Women Drop Season Opener to Ball State

Arkansas State women’s basketball nearly pulled off a thrilling comeback in its season opener Monday night but came up just short, falling 68–66 to Ball State at First National Bank Arena.

The Red Wolves (0–1) battled back from a sluggish first half, where they shot just 31 percent and trailed 29–21 at the break. A-State erupted for 23 points in the third quarter to even the game at 44 heading into the fourth, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about.

Crislyn Rose led the charge for A-State with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while Zyion Shannon added 12 points, four rebounds, and three steals. Wynter Rogers turned in a double-double effort, grabbing 10 rebounds and scoring eight points. The Red Wolves were aggressive defensively, forcing 16 turnovers that led to 26 points.

Ball State (1–0) leaned on its interior play, led by Grace Kingery’s 15 points and seven rebounds, while Karsyn Norman scored 14 points and dished out six assists. The Cardinals dominated the glass, holding a 52–39 rebounding advantage and converting on second-chance opportunities.

A-State seized its first lead of the night early in the fourth quarter after back-to-back baskets by Rose and Shannon made it 46–44. Freshman D’Arrah Allen later drilled a three-pointer to push the lead to eight, but Ball State answered with an 8–0 run to regain momentum.

In the closing seconds, with the game tied at 66, Norman knocked down two free throws with three seconds left to put Ball State ahead for good. The Red Wolves’ last possession came up empty as time expired.

Arkansas State finished the game shooting 30.6 percent from the floor and 13.8 percent from beyond the arc, while Ball State hit 44.7 percent of its attempts overall.

The Red Wolves return to action Friday night, traveling to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.