Red Wolves can’t finish comeback

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 73, ARKANSAS STATE 66

The Arkansas State University men’s basketball team visited Lafayette, La., twice in the past week and a half. Twice the Red Wolves departed without a win, the latest loss the most costly.

ASU couldn’t overcome a 10-point deficit over the final 41/2 minutes as Louisiana-Lafayette survived with a 73-66 victory Saturday at the Cajundome in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

The eighth-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns (14-18, 8-12) advanced to Monday night’s second round and will face fifth-seeded Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga.

The ninth-seeded Red Wolves’ season ended by dropping nine of their final 10 games to finish 16-16 overall. ASU Coach Mike Balado is still without a winning season in his three years in Jonesboro. Balado is 40-56 overall and 2135 in Sun Belt play.

Balado became furious with the officials late in Saturday’s game and was hit with a technical foul after he argued there was a missed foul call on a game-tying three-point attempt in the closing seconds by senior guard Jerry Johnson.

Down 65-55 with 4:34 to go, ASU embarked on a 9-0 run to pull within one with 1:45 left.

Junior guard Marquis Eaton hit a jumper to pull ASU within 67-66 with 53 seconds to play. Louisiana-Lafayette guard Cedric Russell then hit a floater in the lane over Eaton to put the Ragin’ Cajuns up 6966 with under 30 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Johnson hoisted a three from the top of the key as Louisiana-Lafayette guard P.J. Hardy tightly contested the shot. Johnson’s attempt was an air ball and found the hands of Russell, who ASU quickly fouled. Balado was irate and shouted from the sidelines.

Russell hit the front end of a one-and-one before a Ragin’ Cajuns timeout, but Balado kept barking at the officials as ASU’s team gathered for its timeout huddle. The referees issued a technical.

Russell hit his second free throw out of the timeout, then hit two more as a result of the technical as the Ragin’ Cajuns took a seven-point lead with 13 seconds remaining to dash ASU’s hopes.

The Red Wolves were led by a team-high 15 points and 7 rebounds from senior guard Canberk Kus. Junior forward J.J. Matthews added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Guard Mylik Wilson, the Sun Belt freshman of the year, led the Cajuns with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Jalen Johnson recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds.