GRAMBLING, La. – The Alcorn State University women's basketball program battled back from a 13-point deficit and led by 10 early in the third, but Grambling State pulled away down the stretch as the Lady Braves fell 80-71 in the opening round of the SWAC Tournament Tuesday night at the Hobdy Assembly Center.
With the loss, Alcorn finishes its 2017-18 season 12-18 overall with an 8-10 mark in conference play.
Alexus Freeman scored 20 points with two rebounds, three assists, and two steals to lead the Lady Braves in the loss. Tia Sanders followed with 12 points, and De'Asia Brown and Cloe Lane added nine points apiece off the bench. Danasia Fennie pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the team on the glass.
Alcorn shot 28-64 (43.8 percent) from the field, including 5-19 (26.3 percent) from beyond the arc, and 10-14 (71.4 percent) at the free-throw line.
Miracle Rushing started the game with a 1-2 effort at the charity stripe before the teams traded long jumpers. Sanders knocked down a three-pointer in the right corner and added one from the left to break Alcorn's single-season record for threes in a season, but the hosts built a 19-13 lead at the 3:34 media timeout. Multiple turnovers allowed GSU to jump out to a 31-18 advantage as they outscored Alcorn 12-5 to close the first 10 minutes of action.
Freeman got a steal and fast-break bucket before the Lady Tigers called a timeout at the 8:43 mark. After she followed with a mid-range jumper from straight on, Sanders made a bucket and Freeman sank another long two as the Lady Braves opened the second with eight unanswered. Later, Cloe Lane stroked a pair of treys to pull even at 36-36 with 3:56 left in the half. After an old-fashioned three by Shakyla Hill, Sanders converted a pair of free-throws before Freeman scored another jumper to give Alcorn its first lead in the quarter. Lane then hit another shot from distance as the Lady Braves went into the break ahead 43-39.
The Purple and Gold extended their lead with a 6-1 swing to begin the third quarter and would go up 50-40 with just under eight to play. After Hill made both of her free ones and scored a layup, Rushing made a bucket in the paint to bring the game to the 4:57 media timeout. In the final minute, Hill would get a steal and fast-break layup to close the gap 54-52. Rushing beat her defender for a score and Hill hit 1-2 at the line as Alcorn took a narrow 56-55 advantage into the final quarter.
Jazmin Boyd hit a three in the corner to knot the game at 60-60 with 8:14 left in the game. She then added a fast-break layup and sank another three in the corner as the Lady Tigers wrestled back the lead 65-60. After GSU went up 75-67, Fennie shot 2-2 at the stripe before the home team burned a timeout with 1:51 to play. With little time remaining, though, Hill hit 1-2 at the line to make it 80-71 for the final tally.
Alcorn scored more second-chance points (10-7) and more points off the bench (28-26). The Lady Braves also out-rebounded their opponents, 45-29. The game featured three ties and five lead changes. Grambling held its largest lead by 13 at the end of the first, while Alcorn led by 10 at the 7:55 mark in the third.
Notes
- Sanders entered the game needing one three-pointer to tie the program's single-season record of 69 threes in a season, set by Kierra Levy in 2002-03. The senior guard made 2-11 from long-range to secure the mark and finishes the season 70-210 (33.3 percent).
- Alcorn held GSU to just eight points on 18.8 percent shooting in the second quarter.
- Nwarie tied her season highs with four field goals, six boards, and 28 minutes.
- Lane made 3-5 from distance, marking the fourth time this season she has scored three three-pointers in a game. The Kansas City, Kan. native also recorded a career-high three blocks.
- Fennie grabbed 10 rebounds for the second time this season. She also had 10 boards in a home win over Tougaloo on Nov. 30.
- Fennie, Freeman, and Sanders all went a perfect 2-2 at the line.
- With the win, the Lady Tigers have now won five straight in the series.
Quoting Head Coach Courtney G. Pruitt
On the series vs. GSU and playing them for the third time
"I think it was a brilliant game. I think our ladies were resilient when they came back from a 13-point deficit. I know that if Tia and Alexus hadn't both gone out with injuries simultaneously, the outcome would be completely different."
On stepping up the press and fighting back in the second
"I think just defensively we were working on all cylinders. We were able to get steals. We were able to convert every time we did get a steal, and then just momentum just swung our way."
On trying to stop Shakyla HillÂ
"We just wanted to make some adjustments. We put a bigger player on her and that really stopped her momentum as far as her getting to the rim and being able to finish, but it was also in her passing. So we just threw a couple people at her and we were successful when Ida [Nwarie] guarded her and it made the change in the third quarter."
On what the difference has been in the games against Grambling
"I think bench play. We weren't consistent enough. When we had to go to our bench tonight, we just couldn't keep it up. With our starters going out and both of our leading scorers going out at the same time, we just couldn't keep up with them."
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