LORMAN, Miss. – Juniors
Alexus Freeman,
Miracle Rushing and
Tia Sanders all scored in double figures as the Alcorn State University women's basketball program topped Mississippi Valley State University 69-49 Saturday afternoon on High School Day at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
Freeman also added a career-high eight assists along with five steals. Senior post
Henrietta Wells contributed six blocks.
Alcorn (3-13, 3-2 SWAC) outscored MVSU (5-10, 2-2 SWAC) 18-12 in the opening frame. Devilettes leading scorer Christina Reed scored her team's first seven points, and freshman
Aysha Kirkland knocked down a long deuce to tie the game at seven apiece with 7:02 remaining.
The Lady Braves built a 12-11 lead and then senior
Brianna Luton drained back-to-back treys to close the quarter. Alcorn sunk 4-of-5 three-pointers in the first.
After missing its first four shots to open the second, Rushing then sparked a 9-2 Lady Braves run with a free throw and a layup. She scored seven points in the second quarter alone. In the last three minutes leading into halftime, Alcorn tallied six points and limited the Devilettes to just a free throw, taking a 33-22 advantage at the break.
MVSU would cut the deficit to six at 40-34 with 5:25 left in the third. The Lady Braves then clamped down defensively and held the Devilettes without a field goal for the next 4:09. MVSU did tally seven of the final eight points to make the score 49-41 In the Lady Braves favor heading into the final quarter of play.
Alcorn took over in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Devilettes 20-8 and commencing the stanza on an 8-2 run. The Lady Braves shot 78 percent (7-9) in the fourth, scored the final eight points of the contest and held Valley scoreless for the final 3:05.
Alcorn returns to action Monday in a 5 p.m. game against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the Whitney Complex.
#FearTheBrave
NOTES
- The Lady Braves outscored the Devilettes 18-11 on turnovers, 17-15 in second chance opportunities and 10-4 off the bench.
- Although Alcorn hasn't had a 20-point scorer, this marks the third time this season a student-athlete has scored 19.
- This was Sanders' 12
th game in double figures, Freeman's seventh and Rushing's fifth.
- The Lady Braves held a 42-39 edge in the rebounding department.
- Alcorn shot 54 percent (7-13) from beyond the arc and limited MVSU to just an 11-percent (1-9) mark.
- The Lady Braves earned 14 steals compared to the Devilettes four. MVSU came into the game averaging a league-leading 13.3 steals per contest.
- Reed entered the game ranking second with 22.0 points per game. She scored 14 before taking an incidental elbow from
Henrietta Wells. She didn't play after 6:47 in the third.
#FearTheBrave
Listen to "Final Alcorn 69 Mvsu 49 Post Game Courtney Pruitt -Tia Sanders" on Spreaker.
