JONESBORO — Arkansas State was looking for a salve a week ago after losing its fifth road game of the season.
The Convocation Center proved an ideal place for treatment.
The Red Wolves won their third consecutive game at home Saturday, shooting 56.9 percent from the floor, led by Jane Morrill’s 22 points, and using a 17-2 first-half run to blow out Louisiana-Lafayette 77-53 in front of an announced crowd of 1,209.
“It’s been a long week,” ASU Coach Brian Boyer said of a stretch in which his team played four games in eight days.
Freshman forward Jalen O’Bannon added 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting, while guard Andi Watson added nine points off the bench for Arkansas State.
The busy schedule didn’t hinder ASU (5-7, 2-1 Sun Belt Conference) from stifling the Ragin’ Cajuns (6-6, 0-3) early, though.
Guard Quinishia McDowell’s layup five minutes in kicked off a decisive spurt for the Red Wolves, and guard Hannah Qedan’s three-pointer on the next possession pushed the lead to 12-9 with 14:09 left in the first half.
Over the next four minutes, ASU reeled off 12 consecutive points, capping the burst with Jasmine Hunt’s basket in the lane for a 24-9 lead with 10:17 left in the first half
During the stretch, Louisiana-Lafayette committed three consecutive turnovers, followed by three missed jumpers in a row by guard Keke Veal.
Guard Kia Wilridge scored a team-high 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, but also committed a game-high six turnovers. Veal added 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting, and Robbie Brown chipped in with eight points.
The Ragin’ Cajuns, who shot 30.6 percent (28.6 percent in the second half), whittled the lead to 28-20 on Brandi Scambrough’s three-pointer with 4:07 left in the first half — ending an 11-4 stretch — and only trailed 35-28 halftime.
ASU, which shot 64.3 percent in the second half, stretched the lead to 45-31 in the first four minutes of the second half, and then clamped down the rest of the way.
A Morrill layup with 15:29 to go started a 14-0 run that spanned more than four minutes and ended with Carlette Wyatt’s free throw to make it 59-33 lead with 10:50 remaining.
Sports, Pages 33 on 12/23/2012