Greyhounds Pull Away in Second Half to Defeat Southeast Arkansas
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — ASU Mid-South used a dominant second-half surge, led by a big performance from Jaxson Yancy, to defeat Southeast Arkansas and earn a measure of redemption after December's heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss to the Sharks.
In the second meeting between the conference rivals, both teams traded blows throughout a tightly contested first half. Neither side could create much separation until the Greyhounds found another gear over the final four minutes before halftime, stringing together key stops and timely baskets to build a seven-point cushion heading into the break.
That momentum carried into the second half as ASU Mid-South quickly pushed the lead into double digits. The Greyhounds controlled the tempo and never allowed Southeast Arkansas to seriously threaten, eventually stretching the advantage to as many as 22 points on the way to the victory.
Yancy was the catalyst, pouring in 24 points — all in the second half — to fuel the Greyhounds' pull-away. Phillip Tillman added a strong all-around effort with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Randy Emerson provided a big lift off the bench with 14 points. Hugh McFarland chipped in 11 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, and Braylon Frazier and Dejavius Johnson each finished with nine points.
Southeast Arkansas was led by Lavion Owens and Torrey Caswell, who each scored 20 points. Kyler Dandridge added 14, and Amir Rosa contributed 13 for the Sharks.
Following the win, head coach praised his team's response after the tough December loss.
"We challenged our guys before this game," Hastings said. "They accepted that challenge, stayed focused, and went out and completed it. I'm very happy with the way they responded and handled business in the second half."
With the victory, ASU Mid-South improves to 16-6 overall and 9-2 in conference play. The Greyhounds are back in action Saturday, February 7, when they travel to face SAU Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
