ASU looks to Gamble in 2nd half, tops UCA

ARKANSAS STATE 73, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 61

Aundrea Gamble scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half as Arkansas State defeated Central Arkansas 73-61 on Saturday afternoon at the Farris Center in Conway.

Gamble was held to six points in the first half but caught fire in the final 20 minutes as she helped ASU (6-5) erase a five-point deficit after the Red Wolves held a 34-33 lead at halftime. UCA (5-5) used a 6-0 run to start the second half to take the lead and held the lead until Jalen O’Bannon converted a three-point play to give the Red Wolves a 46-43 lead with 10:46 to go.

Gamble pushed the lead to 53-47 with a three-point play, and freshman Jamie Ruffins followed with a steal and a layup to give ASU a 55-47 lead with under seven minutes to play.

Gamble gave the Red Wolves a 60-53 lead when by hitting a three-pointer from the corner with four minutes to play. She helped ASU seal the victory with two free throws with 21 seconds left.

“I’m not sure this is a game that we should have necessarily won by the way we played, but we are not giving it back either,” ASU Coach Brian Boyer said. “We had some key players do some key things at key times that really gave us lift during the game.”

O’Bannon scored a season-high 16 points and was a force in the paint along with Jane Morrill, who had 10 points. The Red Wolves outscored UCA 36-18 in the paint. ASU also outrebounded UCA 35-25.

The Red Wolves shot 50 percent (26-52) from the field for the second consecutive game.

UCA, which has lost four consecutive after a 5-1 start, was led by Maggie Proffitt’s 18 points. Courtney Duever scored 13 points and Brianna Mullins had 10.