Women’s basketball drops first round to Lady Hornets

Box Score
Montgomery- Three words describe the atmosphere at the Alabama State Acadome on Saturday afternoon, packed, loud and hostile. The Alabama A&M women's basketball team took a tough 92-45 loss this afternoon in front of an overwhelmingly ASU favored crowd.

The Bulldog ballers got off to a slow start in front of the ASU crowd. Quickly falling behind 11-2, minutes after the starting whistle caused head coach Semeka Randall to call an early time out.

Out of the break, the team settled down slightly, but still found themselves trailing by the second media time out. Brittney Strickland scored all seven points for the Maroon & White, who were down 19-7 after nine minutes of action.

As time continued to elapse, the Maroon & White saw the deficit grow. As the half time whistle sounded, the Bulldogs trailed 50-21.

The first period saw Strickland lead all first half scorers with 15, while freshman Alasha Foster led A&M on the boards with four. The Bulldogs grabbed three steals, forced four turnovers, and were a perfect 7-7 from the charity strip in the first 20-minute period.

The second half went similarly like the first, with the Bulldogs unable to gain momentum and swing the flow of the game into their direction. Nonetheless, A&M was able to make a few gains in the final period. Most notably, A&M forced multiple ASU turnovers with an increase in defensive pressure.

The Maroon & White forced 11 second-half turnovers that led to 11 Bulldog points. They also forced State into tougher shots, decreasing their accuracy and efficiency. State went on to shot 45 percent from the field after hitting 51 percent in the first period. The Bulldogs also increased their production off the bench and points in the paint in the second half.

Despite the gains, the Maroon & White fell 92-45 to the Lady Hornets. Leading A&M in defeat was Brittney Strickland with a game high 23 points. Foster added seven boards and six points in 19 minutes of action from the bench.

Leading State was Jasmine Peeples and Brittney Wright with 14 points apiece. Peeples also pulled in 10 rebounds.

The women's basketball team will return to the hardwood on January 25, when they take on the Lady Jaguars of Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

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