A-STATE

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present deficit, then pay for it on the other end of the court.

“We get an open look, we miss it, and they come down and make a big play,” said Balado, the Red Wolves’ head coach. “From that point, that’s where the hump has been that we couldn’t get over. We’re just trying to continue to find a way through adversity, to fight through that moment.”

Adversity has been a constant in 2023 for the Red Wolves, who hope to end a nine-game losing streak this evening when they host South Alabama at First National Bank Arena.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

ASU (9-14, 1-9 Sun Belt) is mired in its longest losing streak since the 201516 season. The streak started with a home loss to Louisiana-Monroe on New Year’s Eve and continued with eight defeats in January, the most recent being last Saturday’s 63-51 setback at Appalachian State.

The Red Wolves haven’t led at halftime since beating Old Dominion 60-57 to open Sun Belt play on Dec. 29. That is also the last time they held the lead in the second half.

The longest losing streak in school history, 12 games, occurred during the 194445 season. ASU has had four other double-digit losing streaks, the most recent being a 10-game slide in the 2008-09 season.

Balado said the coaching staff’s approach hasn’t changed and the players’ effort remains good.

“It’s just making these guys believe. It’s tough, but you have to get through it. This is what adversity is all about,” said Balado, whose team will also host Coastal Carolina on Saturday. “I keep telling them, ‘Trust me guys, you’re going to face a hell of a lot more adversity than a nine-game losing streak in your life.’

If you can get through this, you prepare yourself for something better, and myself as well. We just have to stay positive and continue to work.”

ASU’s largest margin of defeat during the streak came in the first meeting with South Alabama (9-13, 3-7 Sun Belt).

The Red Wolves shot a season- low 27.6 percent from the field during a 63-45 loss to the Jaguars in Mobile, Ala. The point total was their lowest since a 71-43 loss at Ole Miss in November 2019.

Balado said South Alabama’s guards posed problems with their ability to defend the pick and roll, and 7-0 center Kevin Samuel gave the Red Wolves trouble in the paint. Samuel grabbed 11 defensive rebounds and blocked six shots in the first meeting.

“Tyrell Jones, who I’ve known for a long time, is a really good on-ball defender. I think (Greg) Parham is not given enough credit for his on-ball defense and with Isaiah Moore, those guys do a great job of being physical and getting over screens,” Balado said.

“We have to do a better job of utilizing pick and rolls because we’d try to come off and we couldn’t get off of them.

“We couldn’t get two on the ball, so we couldn’t get space for shots and then Samuel, he’s tough to deal with inside, finishing at the rim. He’s so big and he blocks shots. It’s something we talk about and try to put him in positions where he’s late rotating over or try to get him out of the way. We need to be more aggressive on our pace. I thought our pace was terrible that game.”

Moore averages 18 points to lead the Jaguars, who snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 7760 victory over Troy.

Samuel averages 10.8 points and 9.3 rebounds.

South Alabama’s last five Sun Belt losses have all been decided by six points or less. The combined margin of defeat in the Jaguars’ four-game slide was 13 points.

“Their record is not really indicative of how good they are. I think Isaiah Moore is probably one of the better guards in our league,” Balado said.

Caleb Fields, ASU’s leading scorer at 11.1 points per game, suffered a wrist fracture Dec. 22 against Arkansas-Little Rock. He played only 19 minutes of last Thursday’s 73-57 loss at Southern Miss, where he sat out the second half, and played 35 minutes against App State.

Fields was 1-of-3 from the field in both games.

“He wants to play through it. It’s not going to get any worse from where the break is,” Balado said.

“The issue is without rest, it can’t heal, and he always takes hits on it. It all depends on how he gets hit. Sometimes he’ll be just trying to deflect the ball and it will hit him, and it will swell up. Other times, he’ll be OK, but every time he shoots, it bothers him. It’s something we’re dealing with and pain tolerance, with him, he’s such a tough kid. For him to do that and play through that pain for his university and his team, that shows you what kind of young man he is.”

Terrance Ford Jr. returned from a leg injury last week and Balado said Caleb London, who has missed 19 of the last 20 games with an ankle injury, should be available this week.

Center Alaaeddine Boutayeb is out for a few weeks with a hand fracture, Balado said.

After sinking 21 3-pointers over two games against Louisiana-Lafayette and Marshall, the Red Wolves were just 12-of-38 (.318) in their two games last week.

ASU shot 41.5 percent from the field overall against Southern Miss, 37.7 percent against App State.

“I think the pace was OK.

It could have been better,” Balado said. “When you look at our shooting percentage, it’s like we’re shooting in the 40s and I go back to the film and I’m like, ‘OK, what can we do to get better shots or easier shots, more high-percentage shots?’ “The truth of the matter is we did get a lot of them.

They didn’t go in. We need to shoot the ball better.”