Alcorn Falls at UAB after Slow Start

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three student-athletes reached double-figures in scoring and one in rebounding Friday for the Alcorn State University women's basketball program, but the Lady Braves couldn't overcome a slow first quarter and fell to UAB 80-53 at Bartow Arena.
 
The Blazers (6-1) raced out to an 11-0 lead and led 24-2 at the 3:48 mark. Alcorn (0-6) outscored UAB 20-9 in the second quarter but couldn't mount a large enough comeback in the second half.
 
Senior De'Asia Brown led Alcorn in scoring with 14 points. Junior Jada Hargrove registered 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while junior Charisma Walker notched 14 points and eight rebounds.
 
Freshman Diamond Hall pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds. She helped Alcorn outrebound UAB 39-35 including a 12-5 mark in offensive boards.
 
The Blazers were guided by Rachael Childress who scored 17 points on 5-of-8 from the three-point line. Trista Magee scored 15 points off the bench.
 
Alcorn made a push midway through the second quarter. Trailing 36-13, junior Toddriana Isler nailed a jumper and Brown converted a lay-up. The Lady Braves turned it into an 8-0 run after Hargrove hit a jumper and Walker made it a lay-up to make it a 36-21 game. Alcorn cut into the lead further after Brown drilled a last-second three-pointer to have the Lady Braves down 41-29 at the half.
 
The momentum carried over into the third quarter as the half began with jumpers by Hargrove and Brown which changed the score to 41-33 at the 8:36 mark.
 
Though, the scoring streak ended there as UAB responded with a 10-0 run to push its lead back up to 51-33 with 6:18 remaining. Despite a three-pointer by Walker at the buzzer, the Blazers were ahead 64-42 heading into the fourth.
 
UAB shot 50 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to stay ahead.
 
The Lady Braves will have a week off from competition before returning home on Saturday, Dec. 8 to host Fisk University at 2 p.m.
 
NOTES
- Brown submitted her seventh career double-figure scoring game and third this year. She made six field goals which were one short of her career-high of seven against Southeastern Louisiana earlier this year.
 
- Hargrove has played at least 37 minutes in each of the last three games. She posted her ninth career double-digit affair and fourth his year. Hargrove's .750 field goal percentage marked the highest by a Lady Brave this season (minimum five made).
 
- Walker entered the game ranked second in the SWAC in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and secured eight. It was her fourth double-figure scoring performance and second in a row after she netted 10 points against Central Arkansas on Wednesday.
 
- Hall's 10 rebounds topped her previous best of seven against SLU. It was the third time an Alcorn student-athlete recorded at least 10 rebounds as Isler has done it twice.
 
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