PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Arkansas-Pine Bluff stormed back late, but the Alcorn State University women's basketball program held on for an 80-77 victory Monday at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
With less than eight seconds remaining in the game, Alcorn inbounded the ball with a narrow 78-77 lead. Senior guard Tia Sanders launched it mid-court to senior forward Miracle Rushing, who made an uncontested layup to leave the Lady Lions (3-12, 1-4 SWAC) with only :05 to get a shot off. Senior guard Alexus Freeman burned some time with a quick steal and turnover, and UAPB put up a desperation heave from its own free-throw line that fell well short.
Rushing led four Lady Braves in double figures with a 21-point, 15-rebound double-double. Senior guard Alexus Freeman followed with 15 points, while Sanders and sophomore guard Jada Hargrove added 13 points each.
Alcorn went 30-67 (44.8 percent) from the floor, 2-14 (14.3 percent) from three-point range, and 18-29 (62.1 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Lady Braves (7-10, 3-3 SWAC) doubled-up on the hosts in the opening quarter, 20-10. Alcorn scored the first seven points of the game on a free-throw, a pair of jumpers, and a layup. The hosts answered with a pair of long balls and a layup to take over 8-7, but a Rushing tip-in ignited a 9-0 run. After Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Trasity Totten converted both of her free shots, Freeman scored a bucket and junior Cloe Lane went 2-2 at the stripe to wrap up the first 10 minutes of play.
Alcorn shot 9-14 (64.3 percent) from the floor, including 2-3 (66.7 percent) from long-range, and 7-11 (63.6 percent) at the line to net 27 points in the second quarter. The team pushed its advantage to 18 several times as Freeman knocked down a three at the 4:14 mark (38-20) and Lane stroked a long ball from the left corner with 1:48 to play in the first half (45-27). Following a Totten layup, redshirt-sophomore guard Brianna Tolliver made both of her free-throws. UAPB then brought the first half to a close with a pair of free ones and a jumper as the Lady Braves led 47-33 at intermission.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff outscored Alcorn in both the third and fourth quarters. The Lady Lions were 5-6 at the free-throw line in the third quarter, allowing the hosts to creep back into the game. UAPB scored 11 unanswered late in the quarter to make it a 61-53 Alcorn lead with :11 on the clock, but De'Asia Brown made both of her shots at the line to push it back to double digits.
The Lady Lions used a 10-2 run that took up more than half of the final 10 minutes of play to pull within 70-65 (4:28). The Lady Braves went back up 76-68 at the 1:24 mark on a Hargrove layup, but UAPB refused to go down without a fight. A Totten three-pointer highlighted a 7-0 swing that made it a one-point game with just :19 left on the clock. Rushing and Noe'll Taylor then traded scores to set up the closing sequence.
Totten totaled 20 points with eight boards to pace the Lady Lions. Also reaching double-digit scoring were Taylor with 11 points and Destiny Brewton with 10 points. UAPB shot 27-59 (45.8 percent) from the field, 6-18 (33.3 percent) from distance, and 17-20 (85.0 percent) at the charity stripe.
The Lady Braves scored more points in the paint (44-32), more points off turnovers (27-22), and more fast-break points (8-0). The team also caused more turnovers (27-25), recorded more blocks (5-2), and grabbed more steals (16-11). The game featured just two ties as Alcorn led for 39:09 and by as many as 19 (1:27 left in the 3rd).
The Lady Braves return to Lorman, Miss. next weekend as they host the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs in a 3 p.m. game at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
Notes
- Rushing's double-double marks her sixth of the season and second in league play. The Meridian, Miss. native reached 11 points with 14 rebounds in the conference-opening win at Prairie View on New Year's Day.
- Rushing's 21 points are a career high. Her previous best was 14 points, a mark she had reached twice this season and three times in her career.
- Lane recorded a career-high three blocks and freshman forward Jamaysha Bernard tied her season high with a pair of blocks. The five blocks tie the team's season high, set in the season-opening overtime win at Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 10.
- The Lady Braves are now 4-0 when leading at the half, 3-0 when scoring 80 or more points, and 3-0 when scoring more points in the paint.
- Alcorn scored 27 points in the second ties its season high and marks the third time the team has reached that mark. The Lady Braves tallied 27 points in the third quarter against LeMoyne-Owen on Nov. 15 and netted 27 in the third quarter versus Tougaloo on Nov. 30.
- The two teams will meet again in Lorman, Miss. on Feb. 12 in a 5:30 p.m. contest at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
Quoting Head Coach Courtney G. Pruitt
On losing the momentum in the second half
"I think the ladies got complacent when they came out in the third quarter. We can't afford to let up off the gas when we establish big leads. I think foul trouble hurt our ability to sub like we were, and it wore some individuals who don't always play down."
On getting to the line early
"It was key. We were able to get to the basket and get and-one buckets as well as draw the foul. We planned to attack the rim more and it paid off big time."
On Cloe Lane's performance
"I'm very proud of the defensive effort she has given these last two games and I just pray she continues to give it her all as our team will get the results we've been working so hard for."
#FearTheBrave
