FLORENCE, Ala. – Well timed runs, including a massive one to begin the game, put Alabama A&M (0-4, 0-0 SWAC) behind the eight ball right away as they fell 66-48 at North Alabama (3-2, 0-0 ASUN) in an NCAA Division I women's basketball game on Tuesday, November 22.
 
Junior center Jayla Cody (Valdosta, Ga.) delivered her best game as a Bulldog, finishing with 15 points, nine boards and a pair of blocks while graduate forward Amani Free (Clay, N.Y.) had a Dennis Rodman-esque game with 10 rebounds without scoring.
 
Junior guard Darian Burgin (Cincinnati, Ohio) wasn't far behind with eight caroms and junior guard Taylor Smith (Fosters, Ala.) added eight points. Freshman guard Emajin McCallop (Kansas City, Kan.) hauled in seven boards and sophomore guard Amiah Simmons (Osawatomie, Kan.) finished with six rebounds.
 
Following an early 2-2 deadlock, UNA erupted for a 17-7 run that gave them a 10-point advantage by the 1:39 mark of the opening frame. Neither team would manage to peal the lid off the bucket the rest of the period, however, as they headed to the second with that 19-9 spread.
 
A 6-2 burst to start the second quarter would cut the deficit to 21-15 over the first 2:10 but back-to-back stop-and-pop threes by Hina Suzuki and Jade Moore, along with a layup by Skyler Gill, fueled an almost instant 8-0 run to balloon the lead to 29-15 with 5:44 on the clock.
 
After an exchange of buckets made it 31-17 the Bulldogs would get their feet under them as they closed the frame with a 7-2 run to pull to within 33-24 by the break.
 
The Lions would maintain at least an eight-point lead and push to as much as a 12-point advantage, 40-28, at the start of the third. From there the teams would go through another drought, this time just under three minutes, before Smith drained a triple and Cody delivered a traditional three-point play to cut it to 40-34 with 4:47 to play.
 
A 6-0 run, with the last four by Emma Kate Tittle, then squelched that run to make it 46-34 at the 2:41 mark before a triple by sophomore guard Shaunice Reed (Seattle, Wash.) and a pair of free throws by Smith narrowed it back to 46-39 before UNA closed the frame with a 48-40 advantage.
 
The beginning of the fourth quarter would not be kind to A&M as the Lions opened with a 10-4 burst to extend their lead to 14 points, 58-44, with 5:40 remaining. Even with that amount of time left, the Bulldogs would not be able to mount a comeback, getting no closer than that margin as they fell 66-48.
 
Suzuki led the Lions with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 at the foul line, while Gill flirted with a triple-double with nine points, 11 boards, seven assists, five blocks and three steals. Moore added 12 points to go with four caroms and three assists and Tittle chipped in with 12 points.
 
Alabama A&M is now off until Saturday, November 26 when they return home to take on Murray State. Game time is slated for a special 12 p.m. tip to accommodate an HBCU Go broadcast as the Bulldogs play their first game in the brand new Events Center.