MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Riding a three-game winning streak and having won four of their first five Southwestern Athletic Conference games, the Alcorn State University women's basketball team will look to challenge the current top team in the conference and unbeaten Alabama State this Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. It will be the only game on the trip for Alcorn, as Monday's game at Alabama A&M was postponed earlier in the week.
The Lady Braves (4-5, 4-1 SWAC) are off to their best SWAC start since 2006-07 and put together a complete performance in the 72-52 win last time out at home versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Alcorn used a big 21-point opening quarter and led by 21 at the half on their way to securing their third straight win. Aja Wheeler led the way with 19 points, while Kirdis Clark tallied 12 points, six rebounds and seven steals to earn SWAC Impact Player of the Week honors.
Clark leads the team averaging 11.9 points per game. She also has a team-high 24 steals and is second on the team in both rebounds per game (3.8) and assists (23). Cayla Obillo and Deja Mitchell each average over eight points a game with Obillo at 8.2 and Mitchell at 8.1. Mitchell leads the team in rebounding at 5.4 per game, Obillo leads in assists with 24 and Diamond Hall leads the way in blocks with four. Four players are shooting over 40 percent from the field led by Wheeler's 50 percent clip (20-40). Aysha Kirkland is right behind at 47.5 (19-40), Mitchell holds a 45.5 percent clip (30-66) and Obillo is at 42.9 percent (27-63).
As a team, Alcorn is averaging 57.2 points per game, making 193-520 (37.1) from the field, 36-141 (25.5) from three and 93-151 (61.6) from the foul line. Opponents are averaging 68.56 points per game, making 232-478 (48.5) from the field, 54-121 (44.6) from three and 99-171 (57.9) from the foul line.
The current SWAC standings entering the week has Alabama State on top, followed by Jackson State at 5-1. Alcorn State sits third at 4-1, followed by Grambling State (3-1), Alabama A&M (2-1), Southern (3-2), Texas Southern (1-2), UAPB (1-4) and both Mississippi Valley State and Prairie View A&M (0-5).
As a team, Alcorn ranks high in the SWAC in multiple categories including leading the conference in steals and ranking eighth nationally at 12.3 per game, second in the conference and 45ht nationally in total steals with 111, third in the conference and 21st nationally in turnovers forced per game at 21.0, third in the conference and 58th nationally in turnover margin at 3.44, fourth in the conference in total assists with 108, fourth in the conference in three point field goals made (36), fourth in the conference in turnovers per game at 17.6, fifth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.68), fifth in the conference in assists per game (12.0), fifth in the conference in fewest turnovers (158), fifth in the conference in personal fouls per game (19.4) and fifth in the conference in win-loss percentage (44.4).
Individually in the conference, Clark and Obillo are ranked in the top-three in steals with Clark first with 24 steals, which ranks 84th nationally and Obillio coming in third in the conference and 148th nationally with 20 total steals. Clark ranks second in the SWAC and 44th nationally in steals per game (2.67), Obillo is sixth in the conference and 111th nationally in steals per game (2.22). Clark ranks 13th in the conference in points per game (11.9), Mitchell is 11th in rebounds per game (5.4), Clark is eighth in three point field goals made (1.3), Obillo is ninth in assists per game (2.8), Clark is 13th in assists per game (2.6), Hall is 15th in blocked shots per game (0.5) and Clark is 11th in minutes per game (29.4).
Alabama State enters this weekend 3-0 overall and in conference having not played any non-conference games prior to the conference season starting. They opened the season with a big win over Jackson State (72-70) and have since picked up road wins at UAPB (87-79) and Mississippi Valley State (69-45). They were set to play Alabama A&M this past week, but the game was postponed.
As a team, the Lady Hornets are averaging 76 points per game, making 75-174 (43.1) from the field, 16-49 (32.7) from three and 62-89 (69.7) from the foul line. Opponents average 64.67 points per game, making 63-193 (32.6) from the field, 9-51 (17.6) from three and 59-76 (77.6) at the foul line. A trio of players average in double-figures in scoring led by Ayana Emmanuel's 19 points per game. Jayla Crawford adds 16.7 points and Shmya Ward with 14.7 points per game. Farrah Pearson is next at 9.3, as the next closest after that is 3.7 per game from Courtney Lee. Ward nearly averages a double-double bringing down 9.3 rebounds per game.
Alcorn holds a 60-30 record in the all-time series against Alabama State. Last year, the teams split the meetings with Alcorn winning the first game in Lorman, 73-63 and Alabama State coming back with the 95-70 win in Montgomery.
