Women’s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker After Late AAMU Run

A 10-4 fourth quarter run was the difference as TSU dropped a 71-67 heartbreaker to Alabama A&M Saturday evening inside the H&PE Arena.
 
TSU broke open a 6-6 game in the first quarter with an 8-0 run aided by three points from Shalexxus Aaron and Andriana Avent. Alabama A&M would answer with an 8-2 run to close out the quarter as they went a perfect 3-for-3 down the stretch as TSU led 16-14.
 
Avent and Jada Perry scored three points apiece to open the second quarter as TSU led 22-16. AAMU would get within four on two occasions from that point but TSU regrouped after an AAMU technical foul coupled with a Jada Perry layup as it upped the margin back to 28-22 at the 4:34 mark. AAMU would miss its next shot attempt and TSU’s Alisa Knight bumped the lead to 30-22 with a jumper off an Ataiya Bridges assist. AAMU’s LaCambria Shakespere connected on a layup on the ensuing possession but Jada Perry went up strong with a layup to keep the margin at eight (32-24).
 
Once again, AAMU wouldn’t go away with seven straight to creep back into the contest but Ashley Austin’s big three-pointer moved TSU back ahead 37-31 late in the half. AAMU connected on a jumper with time running down as TSU led 37-33 at the half.
Both teams went back-and-forth in terms of point production in the third quarter. TSU would up its lead to as much as nine (51-42) after a pair of Avent free throws but once again AAMU was a thorn in TSU’s side as they took advantage of several easy baskets during transition during an 11-6 run to close out the third quarter down 57-55.
 
Knight opened the final quarter with a layup to move the lead up to four (59-55). AAMU would miss its next two shots as Ataiya Bridges drew a foul and nailed two free throws for a 61-55 cushion. However, fouls and turnovers would haunt TSU over the next minute as AAMU scored six straight to tie it at 61-all. Avent would go coast-to- coast for a huge TSU basket and a 63-61 lead at the 5:45 mark. AAMU would lose control of the ball on its next possession but TSU couldn’t capitalize as AAMU tied it at 63-all entering the media timeout (4:46) on a transition basket.
 
AAMU’s Dariauna Lewis, who finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds, scored off a putback as the shot clock expired to move the Bulldogs on top 65-63. TSU would miss a jumper on the next offensive possession and came up with a big stop as AAMU turned the ball over. However, TSU turned the ball over and lost a valuable opportunity to tie or take the lead. With two minutes left, AAMU’s Lewis went by the TSU defender in the paint for a 67-63 lead. TSU would miss the ensuing three-pointer and putback attempts which led to another AAMU score (69-63) from Lewis at the 1:28 mark.
 
Shalexxus Aaron drove the lane to cut the lead to 69-65 with 1:09 left but Lewis was fouled on the next possession and hit 1-of-2 free throws to extend AAMU’s lead to 70-65 as the clock read 42 seconds. With 16.8 seconds left, TSU’s Jala Buster was the aggressor and scored in the paint while drawing a big AAMU foul. However, she missed the free throw which led to an AAMU rebound and timeout. AAMU connected on 1-of-2 free throws with 11.9 seconds for a 71-67 lead as TSU couldn’t capitalize from that.
 
Perry had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds followed by 12 from Bridges and 10 by Avent.
 
TSU is back in action on Monday against Alabama State at 5:30 p.m. inside the H&PE Arena.