Women's Basketball | 11/4/2019 10:34:00 AM

Lady Braves Open 2019-20 Season at Memphis

Alcorn Game Notes | Live Radio | Live Video | Live Stats
 
LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University women's basketball program will head to the "Home of the Blues" Tuesday evening as it will battle the University of Memphis at 5 p.m. inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

The Lady Braves (4-26, 3-15 SWAC in 2018-19) are 2-2 in season openers under head coach Courtney G. Pruitt, who enters her fifth season.
 
The purple and gold welcome back four starters and nine letterwinners. Alcorn brought in six newcomers including four freshmen and two JUCO transfers.

Alcorn's returning starters include senior Jada Hargrove, junior Jamaysha Bernard, senior Toddriana Isler and redshirt junior Aysha Kirkland.

Hargrove is the team's leading returning scorer, averaging 10.1 points per contest. The guard from Riverdale, Georgia was second in the SWAC for minutes played per game (33.1), fourth in assists per game (3.7) and fifth in steals per game (2.00).

Bernard was named to the Preseason All-SWAC Second-Team, making half of her shots from the field (45-90) while leading the team with 23 blocks. The six-footer from New Iberia, Louisiana averaged 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 points per game along with 19 steals and 10 assists.

Isler was the top rebounder last season, averaging 6.5 rebounds a contest and averaged the second-most points per game of all returners at 8.6.

Another senior on the roster is forward Charisma Walker. She had the most rebounds in 2018-19 with 170 and averaged the third-highest points per game (8.1) of the nine returning players.

The Lady Braves welcome two junior college transfers to the mix; LaRae Rascoe from Ancilla College and Nyenkeer Malwal from Jacksonville College (Texas).

Rascoe was a NJCAA Division II Third-Team All-American and two-time MCCAA Western Division Player of the Year. She finished her career as the program's all-time leader in steals (287) and assists (197) as well as second on the career points list (1136).

Malwal averaged a team-best 11.5 points per game her sophomore season at Jacksonville College and was a part of the team's 21-6 campaign her freshman year.

The 2019-2020 freshman class consists of Cayla Obillo, Nia McCalphia, Aja Wheeler and Tyginae Wright.
 
Memphis returns five players from last season's unit including Gazmyne Herndon, Camille Buckhanon, Malainna White, Jamirah Shutes and Alana Davis.

UM excelled in grabbing rebounds and getting to the free throw line last year. Memphis was top-five in the American Athletic Conference for rebounds per game (39.61) and total rebounds (1228) as well as free throw attempts (546) and free throws made (369).

Alana Davis is the biggest contributor coming back for the Tigers and was top-five in the conference at 7.7 rebounds per game along with top-three rankings in free throw attempts (162) and makes (115).
 
Tuesday's game can be heard on the radio on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.

NOTES
- Alcorn is going for its first win over Memphis since 1991-92 when the Lady Braves won 79-69. It is the eighth meeting between the two programs.

- Alcorn finished the 2018-19 season eighth in the NCAA with 16 offensive rebounds per game, a figure that led the SWAC.
 
- The Lady Braves were a top-three team in the conference for rebounds per game (40.17) and assists per game (12.0) while top-five in the league for assists (361), rebounds (1205), fewest fouls (600) and personal fouls per game (20.0).
 
- Alcorn is projected to finish ninth in the SWAC, receiving 36 points and placing ahead of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
 
- Four different Alcorn student-athletes registered double-doubles in 2018-19 including Isler (3), Bernard (1), Walker (1) and Hall (1).
 
- Pruitt made an immediate impact when she arrived at Alcorn and coached Norianna Haynes to the 2015-16 SWAC Player of the Year honor. The following year in 2016-17, she coached Henrietta Wells to SWAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades and Alexus Freeman to SWAC Newcomer of the Year. Pruitt coached Wells in becoming the program's all-time leading shot blocker with 242.
 
- 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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