Women's Basketball | 11/15/2019 8:29:00 AM

Lady Braves Conclude Road Trip at UTEP

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LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University women's basketball program will wrap-up its season-opening four-game road stretch Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT) when it faces the University of Texas at El Paso.

The Lady Braves (0-3) have been one of the best turnover-inducing teams in the NCAA through the week and a half of the campaign, placing top-50 in steals per game (12.3), top-25 in total steals (37) and nearly top-15 in turnovers forced (26.67).
 
Senior Jada Hargrove is off to a terrific start, scoring at 13 points or more in two of the team's three games while being one of only 67 players nationally to hit all of her free throw attempts (8-for-8).

Ancilla college transfer LaRae Rascoe has mastered the art of the steal, ranking inside the top-30 in the nation with nine steals (3.0 per game).

Sophomore Diamond Hall has been doing her best pick-pocketing impression as well. She's fifth in the SWAC at seven steals (2.33 per game).

Center Jamaysha Bernard is the lone Lady Brave with multiple blocks to begin the year, tallying a block in both games she's appeared in.

"Headed back out west for another challenge before our home debut. The ladies love being challenged and know that David can slay Goliath," said head coach Courtney G. Pruitt. "We're going to have to bring our A-game because of UTEP's size and depth."

UTEP (2-0) has had an impressive start to the season as it defeated UC Riverside at home (63-50) and rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces (63-57) to open the 2019-20 campaign.

Three-pointers may be hard to come by for Alcorn as the Miners are allowing only 15.2 percent of its opponents triples to fall, the 11th-lowest rate in the NCAA.

The orange and blue have also excelled at limiting turnovers (27 lost) and defensive basketball (53.5 points allowed per game) as they are among the best in the Conference USA in both categories.

Katarina Zec has been a machine through two contests. The senior from Serbia is averaging 17.5 points, six rebounds, 3.5 three-pointers a game and two assists a night on the year. Her 77.8 three-point field-goal percentage is top-15 in the country as she's hit seven of nine attempts from long range.

NOTES
- Alcorn is going for its first win over UTEP since 1999-2000 when the Lady Braves won 68-47. It is the sixth meeting between the two programs.

- Jada Hargrove leads the Lady Braves with 11.3 points per game and 34 points while dishing out a team-high six assists. She is also a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

- LaRae Rascoe has been a sharpshooter from downtown, going 5-of-11 (.455) from behind the arc to go along with swiping a club-best nine steals and scoring 8.3 points per contest.

- Aysha Kirkland has pulled down 16 rebounds (5.3 per game) to top the purple and gold while Jamaysha Bernard averages a block per night.
 
- Pruitt revamped her coaching staff for 2019-20 with the additions of Andre Payne and Mike Pittman. Payne last served as Mississippi Valley State's Men's Basketball Head Coach where he made four SWAC Tournaments and coached two All-SWAC performers. Pittman spent last season at Paul Quinn and led the Lady Tigers to the USCAA Final Four. Also on staff is student assistant De'Asia Brown. She led Alcorn in points per game (12.3) and three-pointers (38) last season.

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