Box Score GRAMBLING, La. ^__ The Alabama A&M women's basketball dropped its Southwestern Conference opener on Saturday afternoon after falling on the road to Grambling, 69-59, inside Frederick Hobdy Assembly Center. The Lady Bulldogs (4-8, 0-1 SWAC) lost their second straight contest, while the Lady Tigers (2-10, 1-0 SWAC) snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Sophomore Dariauna Lewis compiled her fifth double-double of the season after finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while senior Jameica Cobb added 12 points, while DeShawna Harper and Je'Naiya Davis each added 10 in the loss.

Coach Richards Comments

• "I felt like we were out of sync from about the second quarter on. We did try to pick it up a little in the second half but it was disappointing to see the lack of energy, especially with it being our first conference game," head coach Margaret Richards said. "I do give credit to Grambling, they stepped up and made big shots, their forwards did a great job in the first half of making shots and taking advantage of the lack of defense and the guards did a great job of taking it to the basket and finishing in the second half. I definitely give Coach Murray and his staff credit for getting their team ready to play for their first home conference game." 
• When asked about the big game from freshman  Je'Naiya Davis, Richards seemed pleased with her effort. "We've been coaching her hard about her aggressiveness and sense of urgency. I can see her progressing and feel she can continue to help us going forward. I was glad she was able to hit some big shots during crucial moments and able to step up and shoot the ball with some confidence today because we definitely have confidence in her."

Quarter-by-Quarter

• The Lady Bulldogs­­ jumped out to a 9-2 advantage in the first three minutes of the game, before the Lady Tigers battled back with a run of their own. Alabama A&M led by as many as eight points, with the score being 18-12 after 10 minutes.
• To begin the second quarter, Grambling went on a 4-0 run to pull within four, with A&M still maintaining a 6-20 edge with 7:45 to go before the half. The Lady Bulldogs closed the period being outscoring Grambling 13-6 and trailed 29-26 at the break.
• Grambling continued to take control in the third quarter and edged the Lady Bulldogs 18-12 in the frame to carry a 47-38 lead into the final quarter.
• In the fourth, the Tigers led by as many as 15 points on its way to the 69-59 victory.

Post-Game Notes

• Alabama A&M starters: Tierra Dark, DeShawna Harper, Jameica Cobb, Dariauna Lewis, De'Asia Thomas
• The Bulldogs shot 23-for-64 (35.9 percent) from the field as a team for the game, 3-for-15 (20 percent) from the three-point line and 10-for-16 from the charity stripe (62.5 percent).
• Both teams had strong games in the lane, being even with 32 points in the paint each.
• Grambling out rebounded the Bulldogs 39-37. The Lady Bulldogs grabbed 15 offensive rebounds for 11 second chance points, while the Lady Tigers grabbed ten offensive boards for ten second chance points.
• The Lady Tiger bench outscored the bench of the Lady Bulldogs 24-16. Davis led the Bulldog bench with 10 points.
• Turnovers: A&M won the turnover battle, forcing Grambling into 19 turnovers and scoring 19 points off the miscues. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 14 times and allowed 13 points off of their mistakes. 

Up Next
Alabama A&M will continue their conference opening road trip as they continue on to face Jackson State on Monday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. before returning home to play next weekend.

For more information on the Lady Bulldog basketball team, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@aamuwbb) and Instagram (@aamuwbb). For more on all Bulldogs sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of AAMU Athletics on Twitter (@AAMUBulldogs), Facebook (Facebook.com/aamubulldogs) and Instagram (@AAMUathletics).