MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A pair of 11-2 runs in the second quarter broke the game open as Alabama A&M (7-3, 5-2 SWAC) dropped a 77-63 decision at rival Alabama State (10-1, 10-1 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I women's basketball game on Saturday, February 13.
Senior guard
Deshawna Harper (Indianapolis, Ind.) dropped 19 points on 3-of-5 shooting beyond the arc and an 8-of-10 performance at the foul line to lead the Bulldogs while junior forward
Dariauna Lewis (Omaha, Neb.) delivered an impressive 12 points, 17 rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks in 37 minutes of work.
They we're joined by senior guard
Nigeria Jones (Lincoln, Neb.) with 11 points, a game-high seven assists and a pair of steals and freshman guard
Darian Burgin (Cincinnati, Ohio) with nine points. Redshirt-junior center
Elexis Evans (Greensboro, Ala.) rounded things out with seven points and four caroms.
It would be a game of runs over the first 10 minutes of action as the Hornets jumped out to a 10-4 lead by the 5:34 mark of the opening period. A&M would then respond by scoring 10 of the final 14 points of the frame, six by Jones and four by Evans, to knot the score at 14-14 by the close of the frame.
A three by Tyesha Rudolph in the opening seconds of the second quarter then ignited an 11-2 outburst that took it from a deadlock to a 25-16 ASU lead with 6:36 showing on the clock. The Bulldogs would close to within six, 29-23, by the 3:01 mark before the Hornets would deliver another 11-2 run to take a 40-25 lead into the break.
That margin would continue to grow throughout the third period as Alabama State extended to a 58-39 spread with 1:41 remaining. They would then head to the fourth with a 17 point lead, 59-42, before expanding that to a game-high 64-44 just over two minutes in.
Over the next 4:32 the Bulldogs would mount a 15-6 rally, fueled by nine points from Harper and a 4-of-4 performance from beyond the arc as a team to cut it to 70-59 with 3:20 left. It would not be enough, however, as the Hornets proceeded to salt away the 77-63 victory in the ensuing minutes.
Shmya Ward led ASU with a double-double of 16 points and 11 boards, along with three blocks, while Ayana Emmanuel posted a team-high 17 points. Farrah Person just missed a double-double of her own, finishing with 11 points and nine caroms and Rudolph added eight points and five rebounds. Courtney Lee chipped in with seven points and four assists and Hannah White had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.
The Bulldogs will not have to sit with the decision long as they return to Elmore Gymnasium for the back half of the home-and-home as they host Alabama State on Monday, February 15. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m.
