HOUSTON – A massive road test awaits Alcorn Women's Basketball as the Braves travel to the "Lone Star State" to face off against Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M in the second leg of the season series versus both teams, respectively. Alcorn begins its road swing in Houston, Texas, at Texas Southern on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m.
 
Still looking at a shot at the top seed in the upcoming Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball Tournament, Alcorn needs to keep pace with Alabama A&M and try to sweep the upcoming games away from home after dropping its last contest to in-state foe Jackson State.
 
What: Game Twenty-Six
Who: Alcorn (14-11, 11-3 SWAC) vs. Texas Southern (9-18, 5-10 SWAC)
When: Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas – Health & Physical Education Arena (8,100)
 
Watch: TXSO YouTube
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Live Stats: Click Here
Listen Live: WPRL-FM 91.7
 
What: Game Twenty-Seven
Who: Alcorn at Prairie View A&M
When: Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m.
Where: Prairie View, Texas – William J. Nicks Building (4,000)
 
Watch: SWAC TV
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Live Stats: Click Here
Listen Live: WPRL-FM 91.7
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Alcorn is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
▪ Texas Southern is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
▪ Prairie View A&M is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Alcorn Women's Basketball this season by following the Braves social media platforms. You can follow @BravesSports on X/Twitter and @AlcornSports on Instagram.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Alcorn enters the game against Texas Southern placed second in the SWAC standings – 2.5 games back of Alabama A&M, going 11-3 in SWAC play with a +3.8-scoring margin in league contests.
▪ The Braves have amassed the most wins to this point of a season since collecting 15 at this point back in 2006-07.
▪ Alcorn averages 58.3 points per game in conference play, shooting 36.9 percent from the field.
▪ Nakia Cheatham needs just four points to eclipse 1,000 points in her Alcorn career.
▪ Three-point shooting is a significant part of the offense with the Braves launching an average of 20.4 attempts per game in the league, though efficiency is modest at 25.3 percent.
▪ Kiarra Henderson is turning in 11.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game in the SWAC; the team's engine in terms of playmaking with 65 assists to just 42 turnovers in 14 games.
▪ Alcorn gets to the free throw line consistently in conference play, averaging 12.1 made free throws per game on 66.4 percent shooting, respectfully.
 
RECAPPING ALCORN'S LAST GAME (vs. Jackson State)
Alcorn shot just 3 of 23 from three-point range as Jackson State grabbed a 52-49 overtime win from the Braves in a SWAC Women's Basketball contest inside Davey L. Whitney Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
• Nakia Cheatham turned in a game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds in the contest. It was her sixth double-double of the season.
• Maya Hunkin-Claytor finished scoreless on the night, going 0 of 7 from three-point range.
• Chrishunti Walker had seven rebounds for the Braves, but was just 2 of 9 from the field with five misses inside the paint.
• Kiarra Hendersom provided eight points and five assists, adding a team-high four steals and two blocks.
• Jackson State led 24-19 at the half.
• Alcorn missed several layups through the contest, and struggled to find anything from outside.
• Trailing 29-27 with 3:55 left in the third quarter, Kiarra Henderson knifed through the paint for a layup stemming from a Tigers turnover.
• She added a pair of free throws before a Nakia Cheatham backdoor layup put the Braves ahead 33-29.
• The Tigers led 42-40 when Cotton connected on a turnaround jumper from the elbow with 1:40 remaining in regulation.
• Cheatham knotted the game at 42-42 after taking a JSU turnover and driving in for the basket with just 15 seconds remaining.
• In overtime, Maya Hunkin-Claytor was unable to find her outside shooting, going 0-for-3 from long range in the extra period.
• Safter Henderson's layup put the Purple and Gold ahead 44-42.
• Back-to-back three-pointers from the Tigers' Cotton and Wilkinson put the guests in front for good 48-44 with just one minute left in the OT period.
• Meanwhile, the Tigers hit both of their three-point attempts and finished 4 of 6 at the foul line to claim the win.
• Despite having a deeper bench than JSU, the Braves only outscored their counterparts 11-10 in that category.
 
ALCORN VS. TEXAS SOUTHERN SERIES
▪ Texas Southern leads the all-time series between the two sides by a 19-10 edge dating back to just 2011.
▪ The longest winning streak for the Tigers was 11 games from 2013-18, respectfully.
▪ However, Alcorn has won the last three games in the series, including a 66-51 decision back in January in Lorman, Mississippi.
▪ The two sides met in last year's SWAC Tournament, with the Braves claiming a 69-49 tilt in Atlanta, Georgia.
▪ In fact, Alcorn has enjoyed success in six of the last 10 meetings overall.
 
SCOUTING TEXAS SOUTHERN
▪ Texas Southern comes into the contest 9-18 overall (5-10 SWAC) and tied for ninth in the league standings.
▪ The Tigers have lost their last six games on the trot, all in SWAC play.
▪ TXSO averages a SWAC-leading 65.7 points per game, while opponents do average 72.7 points against per game against them.
▪ Sophomore guard Taliyah Logwood is the engine of this offense, as she leads the team at 13.6 ppg and shoots 43.4 percent from the field, with 5.2 rebounds and almost three steals per game.
▪ Daeja Holmes, a graduate student from Fresno City College, is a legitimate second scoring option at 13.5 ppg in conference play, connecting at a 38.2 percent clip from three on high volume (55 attempts in 11 games).
▪ TXSO turns it over at an alarming rate – 18.7 turnovers per game versus SWAC opposition, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of just 0.5.
 
ALCORN VS. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M SERIES
▪ Prairie View A&M holds a slim 18-15 advantage in the all-time series dating back to 2011.
▪ Alcorn has taken the last two clashes between the two programs, including a 59-43 outcome back in January in Lorman, Mississippi.
▪ The Braves are 2-2 in their last four visits to Prairie View.
▪ Dating back to 2019, only one game played in Texas has been decided by 10 or more points.
▪ Alcorn's longest win streak in the series is four from 2020-21, when the Braves swept both series across the two seasons.
 
SCOUTING PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
▪ While battling tough with opponents, Prairie View SA&M is still seeking its first win over a Division I team this season.
▪ The Panthers take on Jackson State on Thursday evening, entering that contest 2-24 overall (0-15 SWAC), and firmly rooted to the bottom of the league standings.
▪ Despite winning struggles, both Crystal Schultz (14.8 ppg) and CJ Wilson (14.1 ppg) are two of the top three leading scorers in the SWAC – led at the top by Schultz.
▪ Wilson is also sixth in the league in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game ripped down.
▪ The Panthers have made more three-pointers than their opponents, with almost 27 percent of their made baskets from the field coming from beyond the arc.
▪ However, the team turns the ball over at an alarming rate, averaging 20.8 per game.
 
UP NEXT
The Braves return home for the final two games of the SWAC regular season when playing host to Mississippi Valley State (March 3) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (March 5) at Davey L. Whitney Complex.
 
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