THE HILL | The Alabama A&M women's basketball team opened their 2024-25 slate with a 96-50 victory over the Oakwood University Ambassadors on Monday night in the AAMU Event Center. The exhibition contest saw three Bulldogs in double figures, led by senior Alisha Wilson's 25 points and 22 rebound double-double.

Senior transfer Lauryn Pendleton added 17 points and Junior Shelomi Sanders recorded 14 of her own. Sophomore Aniya Palmer helped pace the Bulldog defense with seven rebounds and three steals on the night. Senior Kourtney Rittenberry led the team with four assists. AAMU dominated from within the arc, notching 42 points in the paint. The Maroon and White went 14-20 from the line and saw 31 points from the bench.

The Ambassadors were led offensively by Madison McDonald's 14 points and defensively by Saniya Keys' six rebounds. OU picked up 18 points in the paint and had their best scoring run of seven points early in the first half.

Rittenberry got the Bulldogs on the board first to give them an early lead, but the Ambassadors tied at 5-5 after a McDonald score from the field. Pendleton scored the next eight points for the Maroon and White to balloon the lead to 13-5. The quarter tightened, as Oakwood got back within one point at 15-14, but the Bulldogs capitalized off two Ambassador turnovers and a defensive rebound from Wilson to regain a comfortable 21-14 lead. The Ambassadors never got closer than seven points, and the Bulldogs ended the first quarter ahead 24-17.

The second quarter saw a more relaxed Bulldog squad, as the Maroon and White outscored the Ambassadors 26-8. Burgin opened the quarter with a three-pointer before OU added three of their own, courtesy of a field goal and free throw from McDonald. The Ambassadors went scoreless for six minutes, in which Wilson added eight points, three rebounds and a steal to give the Bulldogs a commanding 49-20 lead. McDonald added another trio of points, but a buzzer beating three-pointer from Sanders solidified half with AAMU ahead 52-25.

Alabama A&M held the lead for 18:42 of the 20 minutes in the first half, and never relinquished the lead. The Bulldogs found success in the paint, with 24 points coming from within. AAMU recorded 19 points from Ambassador turnovers. The Bulldogs went 20-39 from the field, and six of eight at the line, while Oakwood ended the half eight of 17 from the field, and seven of 10 at the line.

The second half saw a more defensive look from AAMU, with 13 rebounds and seven steals. The Ambassadors went four of six in the third quarter but would end the quarter down 70-38. Wilson pioneered the frame, notching 12 points. The final period saw a spark from Sanders, as she added 11 points to give the Bulldogs the 96-50 win.

Alabama A&M returns to the hardwood on Thursday, November 7 to take on the No. 24 University of Alabama Crimson Tide in the AAMU Event Center at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.

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