ITTA BENA, Miss. – Senior guards Alexus Freeman and Tia Sanders powered the Alcorn State University women's basketball program past Mississippi Valley State 76-70 Saturday at the R.W. Harrison Complex.
Sanders went 10-14 from the floor, 3-6 from beyond the arc, and 4-5 at the free-throw line to tally 27 points. The Pensacola, Fla. native pulled down four rebounds with three assists and two steals. Freeman shot 11-23 from the floor, including 3-7 from deep, and 1-4 at the stripe to set a new career-high of 26 points. She added four rebounds, three assists, and five steals.
Redshirt-sophomore Brianna Tolliver finished with seven points and senior forward Miracle Rushing secured a team-high seven boards. The Lady Braves made 30-55 (54.5 percent) from the field, 9-18 (50.0 percent) from long-range, and 7-14 (50.0 percent) at the charity stripe.
"We kept fighting today despite some adversity," said head coach Courtney G. Pruitt. "That said, we need to stay focused on our goals and be more disciplined on defense without committing so many fouls."
The first half was a back-and-forth battle as neither team could find any separation. Alcorn took an early 7-1 lead as Freeman hit a jumper and Sanders added a three-pointer and jumper of her own, but the Devilettes (0-16, 0-4 SWAC) evened the score on a LaKendra Bassett layup. The Lady Braves went up 12-7 as Sanders made another long ball and Freeman scored a bucket, but the hosts took over with a 12-2 run. Down 23-16 with 1:56 remaining in the opening quarter, Sanders got a layup to fall in and Tolliver hit a three-pointer as Alcorn cut the lead to 23-21 at end of the first.
In the second quarter, the teams traded the lead several times before a 2-for-2 effort from Sanders at the line and a freebie from Rushing put Alcorn up 34-30 with less than a minute to play before the break. MVSU made the most of a pair of trips to the line, however, and the teams went into the locker rooms knotted at 34-34.
Alcorn started to pull away with a 26-point third quarter. The Lady Braves took control early with a 14-4 run, highlighted by a pair of Freeman three balls at the top of the key. The visitors on the scoreboard slowly pushed the lead to 13 as Sanders converted a pair of free-throws at the 2:39 mark. Neither team scored for over two minutes until Sanders ended the drought with a layup. Kristy Parker got to the line late in the quarter, making both shots, and Freeman made another jumper as Alcorn went into the final period with a 60-45 advantage.
Sanders opened the final quarter with a long ball from the left corner, then added a layup to force an MVSU timeout. A Cloe Lane three in the left corner and a Tolliver layup gave Alcorn its largest lead of the game, 70-47. The hosts didn't go without a fight, though, as they used a 17-4 run to make it a 10-point game, 74-64, with 2:18 remaining in the game. Following a Sanders jumper, the Devilettes scored another six straight but ultimately ran out of time as the Lady Braves held on for the win.
"We lost focus during that last six minutes because we stopped being disciplined on defense," added Pruitt. "We can't afford to have those mental lapses late in the game. We must finish."
The Lady Braves shot 31-56 (55.4 percent) from the field, 7-16 (43.8 percent) from long range, and 7-14 (50.0 percent) at the charity stripe.
Alcorn scored more bench points (16-12) and grabbed more steals (13-10). The game featured five ties and six lead changes. The Lady Braves led by as many as 23 (8:15 to play in the 4th quarter).
The Lady Braves continue their road trip Monday as they square off with Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 2 p.m. conference game at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
Notes
- Freeman just passed her previous career scoring high of 25 points, which she set in the team's win over LeMoyne-Owen College back on Nov. 15. This marks the fourth time this season she has scored 20 or more points.
- Sanders has scored 20 or more points eight times this season, with today marking her third game in a row she has done so.
- The 53 combined points marks a season high for the duo. The pair totaled 49 points in Alcorn's loss to Stephen F. Austin at the Southern Miss. Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 25.
- With the victory, Alcorn has now won eight straight against MVSU. The two teams meet again on Feb. 10 for a 3 p.m. contest in Lorman, Miss.
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