Rushing Converts First Career Double-Double as Lady Braves Fall to Lady Hornets

LORMAN, Miss. – Junior Miracle Rushing tallied 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds en route to her first career double-double, and the Lady Braves nearly erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit before falling to Alabama State University 62-56 Saturday afternoon at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
 
Alcorn (8-17, 8-6 SWAC) finished the contest with a 47-41 rebounding advantage, including 25-10 on the offensive end. Those 25 offensive boards marked a season high for the Lady Braves. They also held a 17-9 margin in second-chance points and 10-4 edge in fast-break points.
 
Junior Alexus Freeman scored a team-high 13 points, and senior Tori Spann rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10. ASU (11-12, 10-3 SWAC) superstar Britney Wright dropped a game-high 25 points including 7-of-9 from the charity stripe.
 
After the Lady Hornets opened the game on an 8-0 run, the Lady Braves responded with nine straight points sparked by five from Spann.
 
Alcorn led 14-13 after the first frame and a quick five-point spurt later in the second increased the advantage to 18-16.
 
Wright, currently the SWAC's leading scorer, and Daniele Ewert combined for seven consecutive Lady Hornets points in just 57 seconds to give them a 25-19 edge with 4:07 remaining.
 
Alcorn would close the first half, a time frame with six lead changes, on a 10-7 run which cut the deficit to three at 32-29.
 
Senior Henrietta Wells knocked down a layup to open the third, but ASU countered with six straight points to widen the margin to 38-31.
 
The Lady Hornets lead ballooned to as much as 14 with 5:53 left in the contest before the Lady Braves made one final push.
 
Alcorn received five straight from Freeman on two free throws followed by a trey from the left wing. Spann then drained two free throws to bring the Lady Braves within seven at 53-46.

Still trailing 57-49 with 2:38 to go, Alcorn outscored ASU 7-2 over the next 1:20, concluded by a corner three from junior Tia Sanders, to make it a one-possession game at 59-56.
 
The Lady Braves were unable to convert on their final two possessions, resulting in a Lady Hornets victory.
 
Alcorn looks to get back on track Monday in a 5:30 p.m. game against Alabama A&M University at the Whitney Complex, marking its last regular season home game of the 2016-17 season.
 
NOTES
- This was Freeman's 14^th, Rushing's sixth and Spann's second double-digit scoring performance of the season.
 
- The Lady Braves limited the Lady Hornets to just 3-of-11 (.273) from three-point range. Alcorn ranks atop the SWAC in three-point defense.
 
- Rushing's nine offensive boards marks the most by a Lady Brave in one game this season.
 
- The Lady Braves recorded 12 steals, marking the ninth occurrence with 10-plus in conference play.

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