Red Wolves Rain Threes to Secure 20th Win, Hold Off Coastal Carolina
Arkansas State leaned on a season-best shooting performance from beyond the arc to withstand a late surge from Coastal Carolina, knocking off the Chanticleers on Wednesday night at First National Bank Arena to secure the program’s 20th win of the season.
The Red Wolves (20-4, 11-1 Sun Belt) buried 16 three-pointers and made the necessary plays down the stretch to fend off Coastal Carolina (11-13, 4-8 SBC), marking another milestone victory under head coach Destinee Rogers, who earned the 75th win of her career.
Despite being outshot from the floor, Arkansas State made the difference with pressure defense and timely shooting. Coastal Carolina connected on 23-of-55 shots (42 percent), while the Red Wolves finished 19-of-63 (30 percent). A-State forced 32 turnovers, offsetting a 42-36 rebounding deficit and 20 turnovers of its own.
Crislyn Rose led the Red Wolves with a game-high 21 points, knocking down all six of her three-point attempts and adding three free throws. Aniyah Ruddock finished with 14 points, while Mimi McCollister added 12. Wynter Rogers anchored the interior with eight rebounds and two blocks.
Coastal Carolina opened the game on a 7-0 run, but Arkansas State responded quickly with a pair of threes and a layup from Yves Cox to grab the lead. After a brief Chanticleer push, an 8-0 Red Wolves run gave the home team momentum, and A-State carried a five-point advantage after the opening quarter.
The Red Wolves stayed aggressive in the second quarter, getting to the free-throw line and knocking down four more triples. Mia Tarver accounted for two of those, while Rose and McCollister added one apiece. Coastal Carolina trimmed the margin late, but Arkansas State went into halftime holding a 40-35 lead.
A-State answered Coastal’s opening three of the third quarter with a 9-2 run, but the Chanticleers stayed within striking distance. Coastal scored 16 points in the latter portion of the quarter, with Rose’s timely shooting and a Zyion Shannon layup keeping the Red Wolves narrowly in front. Arkansas State entered the final quarter clinging to a 57-56 lead.
The Red Wolves briefly extended the margin with an 8-2 run highlighted by two Ruddock threes, but Coastal Carolina answered with a 7-0 burst to tie the game with 3:30 remaining. Rose once again delivered, drilling back-to-back three-pointers to put Arkansas State back in control. McCollister sealed the win at the free-throw line, converting all six attempts in the final minute to secure the victory.
Arkansas State now heads back on the road as part of the MAC–SBC Challenge, traveling to face Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.