2 weeks Ago
Southern's Dakiyah Sanders drives the ball while defended by Alcorn defender Zy'nyia White on Saturday at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
PHOTO BY JOHN OUBRE Southern's Aniya Gourdine, center, and Tionna Lidge grab an offensive rebound against Alcorn on Saturday at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
PHOTO BY JOHN OUBRE Southern's Soniyah Reed drives around Alcorn defender Arene Iyekekpolor on Saturday at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
PHOTO BY JOHN OUBRE Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Alcorn State made all five of its free throws in overtime, just the edge it needed, and the Braves slipped past Southern 59-55 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
The score was tied 50-50 at the end of regulation. There were two more ties in overtime before Alcorn's Zy'nyia White converted a three-point play to give the Braves a 57-54 lead. Southern (9-13, 7-2 SWAC) had two possessions with a chance to pull even.
Aniya Gourdine made one of two free throws and Jocelyn Tate missed an open layup sealing the Jaguars' fate. Alcorn's Ashant Backus sank two free throws with 5.5 seconds left to put the game out of reach.
"I knew it was going to be a battle," Southern coach Carlos Funchess said. "I knew they would make it scrappy and make it an ugly game." Southern led 47-40 midway through the fourth quarter but couldn't hold on.
White and Nakie Cheatham converted back-to-back three-point plays, and Alcorn eventually pulled even at 50-50. Southern got off two shots in the final 30 seconds. A layup by Gourdine was blocked and Soniyah Reed misfired on a 3-pointer as time ran out.
Southern's Tionna Lidge scored 7 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, but she fouled out with three minutes left in overtime. Gourdine led Southern scoring with 13 points. Alcorn (6-15, 4-5) got 12 points from White and 13 from Destiny Brown.
"We didn't finish around the basket the way we should have," Funchess said. "We missed some free throws and they made theirs, but we had opportunities to win the game. There were too many breakdowns.
" The first half was slow going for both offenses. Alcorn State made 3 of 5 shots to open the game, and then it went the last 6:51 of the first quarter without a made field goal. Southern was scoreless for more than four minutes before Aniya Gourdine got the Jaguars on the scoreboard with a three-point play.
Aleighyah Fontenot and Soniyah Reed each made 3-pointers helping Southern edge in front, 11-10, after one quarter. In the second, Reed hit another 3-pointer and then added a jumper as Southern took an 18-12 lead. The Jaguars missed their next six shots and didn't score again until Alcorn had taken a 19-18 lead.
Alcorn got a late 3-pointer from Kiarra Henderson and led 23-22 at halftime..
