Women’s Basketball Falls In Tourney Opener

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Texas Southern women’s basketball postseason run came to an early end as they fell to No. 2 Alabama State in the first round of SWAC Tournament play by an 85-69 margin.

TSU opened up with an early 6-2 lead less than five minutes in but Alabama State countered with a 6-0 run to jump ahead 8-6 after a three-pointer from Ayana Emmanuel.  A Namiko Adams’ jumper tied the game at 8-8 but Alabama State once again moved ahead with six consecutive points and led 14-8. Adams once again ended TSU’s drought with a jumper at the 44-second mark as the score remained 14-10 ASU at the end of the first quarter. Baskets by Te’Aire Hambrick, Adams and Ataiya Bridges kept TSU close within the first three minutes of the second quarter as they were down 20-16. However, the shots stopped falling for TSU over the next few minutes and ASU’s did as they went on an 11-2 run to pull ahead 31-18 at the 3:53 mark. TSU would finally gain its offensive foothold in the final 2:56 with six points but ASU still led 35-24 at the break.

TSU would draw within single digits at 41-32 with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter but the momentum was short-lived as ASU went on a 16-1 over the next four minutes to jump out to a 57-33 lead. A three-pointer and jumper by Demetrius Lewis in the final 56 seconds was the only scoring TSU would receive as they trailed 60-38 entering the final quarter.

The Tigers refused to go down quietly as they came out blazing to open the final quarter on both ends of the court. TSU forced seven ASU turnovers within the first six minutes and pushed the tempo as they chopped away at the deficit by outscoring ASU 23-13 to draw within 10 points at 71-61. Unfortunately, the momentum couldn’t be sustained as ASU’s Ayana Emmanuel scored 12 points to close out the contest as the emotional season which featured a variety of factors the team couldn’t control such as COVID-19 issues and injuries came to a sudden close.

Hambrick led TSU with 16 points followed by 13 from Bridges. Lewis and Britnee Gabriel both added 11 while Gabriel grabbed nine rebounds.