ITTA BENA, MS – Alcorn State women's basketball fought hard but couldn't hold off Mississippi Valley State in a 72-63 loss on Thursday evening at the Harrison HPER Complex. The Lady Braves (11-18, 9-9 SWAC) led at halftime but struggled to contain the Devilettes' second-half surge, as Mississippi Valley State (6-22, 5-12 SWAC) outscored Alcorn 42-31 after the break.
Sharmayne Finley and
Zy'Nyia White paced Alcorn with 14 points each, with White going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Nakia Cheathman added 11 points, while
Kiarra Henderson and
Destiny Brown chipped in 11 and eight points, respectively. Brown also pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Lady Braves inside. Alcorn shot an efficient 52.1% from the field but struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 11-of-17 (64.7%).
The Lady Braves held a slight edge heading into the fourth quarter, but Mississippi Valley State closed the game strong, using a 23-18 advantage in the final period to secure the
win.
GAME RECAP
First Quarter – Alcorn 15, Mississippi Valley 14
- Alcorn came out firing, hitting 63.6% of its shots in the opening period.
- White and Finley combined for 10 points, helping the Lady Braves establish an early lead.
- The Lady Braves forced five turnovers but struggled to contain Mississippi Valley's inside scoring.
Second Quarter – Alcorn 32, Mississippi Valley 30
- Alcorn built a six-point lead midway through the quarter, fueled by strong defensive play.
- Cheathman knocked down a three-pointer to give the Lady Braves momentum heading into halftime.
- Mississippi Valley State closed the half on a 6-2 run to trim Alcorn's lead to two.
Third Quarter – Mississippi Valley 49, Alcorn 45
- Mississippi Valley State flipped the momentum, outscoring Alcorn 19-13 in the third quarter.
- The Devilettes shot 70% from the field in the period, connecting on three key three-pointers.
- Alcorn struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 2-of-6 attempts in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter – Mississippi Valley 72, Alcorn 63
- The Lady Braves kept the game within reach, trailing by just four points with under three minutes to play.
- Mississippi Valley State capitalized on Alcorn's turnovers, scoring seven points off takeaways in the final minutes.
- The Devilettes hit 12-of-16 free throws in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 14 & 6 – Zy'Nyia White finished with 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting while adding six rebounds.
- 11 – Nakia Cheathman contributed 11 points, including one of Alcorn's two three-pointers.
- 52.1% – The Lady Braves shot efficiently from the field but couldn't overcome missed free throws and turnovers.
- 18 – Alcorn forced 18 turnovers but struggled to convert them into points.
- 23 – Mississippi Valley outscored Alcorn 23-18 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
UP NEXT
Alcorn State (11-18, 9-9 SWAC) will conclude the regular season on Saturday, March 8, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CST.
