Arkansas State men’s basketball fell 101-86 to 20th-ranked Alabama on Friday night, despite a strong performance from sophomore guard Layne Taylor. The game, played at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, dropped the Red Wolves to 1-1 on the season. Alabama improved to 2-0.
Taylor led Arkansas State with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. He also shared a team-high six assists with Royal Blue Smith and added five rebounds. Senior forward Amadou Doumbia recorded his first career double-double, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks. Smith contributed three steals, a career best, as the Red Wolves registered 10 steals and forced 14 Alabama turnovers.
Arkansas State shot 42.1% from the field, going 15-for-39 from three-point range. The team also grabbed 46 rebounds. Taylor’s hot start helped the Red Wolves take an early lead, hitting three three-pointers in the game’s first five minutes to go up 12-7. By the 11:47 mark of the first half, the lead had grown to eight.
However, Alabama responded with an 8-0 run to tie the game, and the teams exchanged baskets before the Crimson Tide edged ahead 33-32 with just over four minutes left in the half. A critical 14-0 run in the final minutes of the first half gave Alabama a commanding 51-34 halftime lead.
Arkansas State struggled to keep pace early in the second half as Alabama extended the deficit to 23 points. The Red Wolves managed to rally with a 9-0 run, sparked by a layup and three-pointer from Shawn Pyke, trimming the lead to 12. Despite their efforts, Alabama pulled away again, pushing the score to 98-73 with under five minutes left. Late buckets, including back-to-back three-pointers by Doumbia and Aaron McGee, provided the final Red Wolves surge.
The Red Wolves return to Jonesboro for their next game on Friday, Nov. 10, against UT Martin. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+ and on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network.