Arkansas State used the three-point shot to pull ahead in each half, and Seattle University had no answer in the second half as the Red Wolves defeated the Redhawks, 87-74, Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
Aaron Broussard (Federal Way, Wash.) led Seattle U with 25 points, 19 of them coming in the first half, while Clarence Trent (Tacoma, Wash.) shot 7-of-9 from the field as part of a 16-point effort. Eric Wallace (Winston-Salem, N.C.) earned his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Sterling Carter (Seattle, Wash.) hit four three-pointers, all in the second half, for 12 points of his own.
Arkansas State (5-5) jumped out to a 10-3 lead thanks to back-to-back three-pointers by Trey Finn, and a three-pointer from Ed Townsel gave the Red Wolves a 17-11 advantage halfway through the first half. Seattle U responded with a 12-3 run, with Broussard scoring 10 of those points, to pull ahead, 23-20, with 7:17 left in the first half.
With the score tied at 28-28, Wallace and Broussard earned consecutive layups to allow the Redhawks to go back up by four with 3:35 remaining before halftime, but Arkansas State closed out the half with a 10-2 scoring run to take a 38-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. Broussard and Wallace combined for 25 points and 14 rebounds in the first 20 minutes of the game, but Seattle U hurt itself with nine first-half turnovers.
Trent scored Seattle U's first eight points of the second half, but back-to-back three-pointers from Marcus Hooten and Townsel extended Arkansas State's lead back to seven at 47-40. After Hooten hit another three-pointer to give the Red Wolves their first double-digit lead of the game, Carter gave the home team a bit of its own medicine with three long distance baskets in a four-minute span to bring the Redhawks within six at 61-55. However, Townsel nailed another shot from behind the three-point line to slow down the Seattle U rally.
Arkansas State went inside to put the game away, as Malcoln Kirkland scored 10 straight points for the Red Wolves late in the second half. Seattle U had a chance to close the gap as Arkansas State missed six straight free throws, but Hooten pulled down two offensive rebounds and Brandon Peterson grabbed a third for the Red Wolves, and the home team started hitting its free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
Townsel led Arkansas State with 20 points, while both Kirkland (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Peterson (17 points, 12 rebounds) notched double-doubles in the game. As a team, the Red Wolves shot 44.8 percent (26-of-58) from the field, including 8-of-15 from behind the three-point line, and 27-of-42 (64.3 percent) from the free throw line, earning more made free throws (27) than Seattle U attempted (15).
Seattle U shot 41.8 percent (28-of-67) from the field, including 8-of-20 from behind the three-point line, and 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line. The Redhawks committed 18 turnovers in the game and lost the rebounding battle, 45-36.
Seattle University (2-6) will face Utah State in Logan, Utah, Saturday, Dec. 17, beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. local time). Dave Grosby and Gary Hill, Jr., will broadcast the game live on 710 ESPN Seattle, starting with the pregame show shortly before tipoff.