Prairie View: Game Notes | Live Stats | Listen
Texas Southern: Game Notes | Live Stats | Listen
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – After posting a 4-7 record in non-conference action, the Alcorn State University women's basketball program starts league play on New Year's Day with a 3 p.m. game against Prairie View A&M at the William J. Nicks Building. Alcorn then continues its road swing with a trip to Texas Southern on Wednesday.
The Lady Braves are paced by senior guards Tia Sanders and Alexus Freeman with 16.5 and 14.5 points per game, respectively. Junior guard Cloe Lane had a career game at Louisiana Tech on Friday with 24 points and is close to averaging double figures with 9.9 points. The three have combined to make 58 of Alcorn's 66 three-pointers this season. Senior forward Miracle Rushing is the team's top rebounder with 82 boards, while Freeman leads the Lady Braves in assists (53) and steals (43).
"As a team, we need to get our scorers going again," said head coach Courtney G. Pruitt. "We have to play with more consistency and start putting defense first. With league play starting, we have to want it more than our opponents if we're to fulfill our goals."
Alcorn is shooting 265-725 (36.6 percent) from the field, including 66-215 (30.7 percent) from beyond the arc, and 114-181 (63.0 percent) at the free-throw line. The team averages 64.5 points (-6.5), 37.9 rebounds (-4.4), 12.4 assists, 19.9 turnovers, 11.5 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game.
Prairie View A&M | Jan. 1 | 3 p.m.
The Lady Panthers (2-9) opened their season with wins over the Texas-Tyler and Arlington Baptist but have since lost nine straight. The team is coming off an 88-68 loss to Rice last Thursday.
Shala Dobbins was named the SWAC Player of the Week on Nov. 21 is averaging 20.5 points to pace Priarie View. Also averaging double-digit scoring are Jordyn Penniman with 11.8 points and Dominique Newman with 10.3 points. Penniman is the deep threat with 22 three-pointers. Defensively, Dobbins and Newman have a combined 33 steals.
Prairie View is shooting 256-690 (37.1 percent) from the floor, 42-176 (23.9 percent) from long range, and 141-220 (64.1 percent) at the line. The Lady Panthers are averaging 69.5 points (-6.7), 38.5 rebounds (-10.2), 14.3 assists, 16.0 turnovers, 10.7 steals, and 4.4 blocks per outing.
Alcorn and Prairie View split the series last season, with both teams winning on their home courts. The Lady Braves won 62-55 on Jan. 4 while the Lady Panthers took a March 4 meeting 69-60.
Texas Southern | Jan. 3 | 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Tigers (5-6) claimed non-conference wins over New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, Wiley College, Northwestern State, and Paul Quinn College. The team concluded 2017 with losses at New Orleans on Dec. 21 and at Ole Miss on Dec. 28.
Joyce Kennerson, who received back-to-back Player of the Week honors on Nov. 29 and Dec. 5, paces TSU with 25.9 points per game. Also in double figures is Kaitlyn Palmer with 13.8 points. The pair of guards have combined for 59 three-pointers. Camille Mills and Isis Lane lead the squad on the glass with 61 and 58 boards, respectively. On defense, Kennerson owns 28 steals, Mills has 24, and Artavia Ford leads the team in blocks with 10.
The Lady Tigers are shooting 244-603 (40.5 percent) from the field, 63-184 (34.2 percent) from deep, and 138-205 (67.3 percent) at the charity stripe. TSU is averaging 62.6 points (+1.6), 37.0 rebounds (+0.2), 11.4 assists, 19.8 turnovers, 8.9 steals, and 2.9 blocks per contest.
TSU swept the conference series last season with a close 57-53 win on Jan. 2, followed by a 64-45 win in Houston on March 2. The Lady Tigers went on to win their first SWAC Championship title in program history with a 70-66 win over top-seeded Grambling State.
NOTES
- Alcorn earned four wins in non-conference play, marking the best start since the 2006-07 season when the Lady Braves also won four with wins over Jacksonville State, Idaho, Lamar, and Tennessee State.
- The Lady Braves enter SWAC play ranked fourth in the league standings. Jackson State is atop the leader board after going 5-4, followed by Texas Southern and Alabama A&M, both at 5-6.
- The Lady Braves lead the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (25.8) and three-pointers made (6.0 per game). The team is second in three-point field goal percentage (30.7) and offensive rebounding (14.8 per game).
- Freeman's 4.8 assists per game lead the conference. Her 3.9 steals per game rank second.
- Rushing ranks second in the SWAC in rebounding (8.2 per game), offensive rebounding (3.6 per game), and defensive rebounding (4.6 per game).
- Sanders is second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (42.4).
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