The Alabama State University women’s basketball team battled the Grambling State University Tigers at Dunn-Oliver Acadome Feb. 4, 2023. Even with the Hornets’ late eight-point lead at the end of the third quarter, it was not enough, as the Tiger hit a shot with 1.6 seconds to go, winning the game in stunning fashion, 52-51.
Starting off in the first quarter, the Hornets scored 11 points leading the Tigers 11-3. Senior guard Ayana Emmanuel started off hot scoring nine of the team’s 11 points.
Grambling’s Miracle Saxon cut Alabama State’s lead to three with 2:51 to go in the first quarter.
To start the second quarter, the Hornets went on a 7-0 run, leading the score with 20-10.
With just under three minutes left, junior forward Shmya Ward hit a layup to put the score at 22-13.
The Hornets went into halftime with a 22-15 lead.
The Tigers stormed back at the beginning of the third, cutting the lead to four with a score of 22-18, and then scoring four more points to lead with 26-19.
The Hornets were able to keep the Tigers at bay in order to maintain a 37-32 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers went on a 7-2 run, the Hornet lead to four with 6:14 to go in the game.
The Hornets did not go down easy as Emmanuel hit a three-pointer extending the Hornets’ lead to 46-39.
From 4:04 minutes left till the end of the game, both teams traded points back and forth.
The Tigers went on a 9-0 run, taking the lead with 50-49 with 11 seconds to go in the game.
A layup by Emmanuel gave the Hornets a one-point lead over the Tigers with five second left, before Grambling State’s Saxon hit a shot with 1.6 seconds to go, giving them a lead of 52-51.
With the clock going off fast, Alabama State’s Ward attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it hit the front of the iron, instead of entering the basket.
Even in defeat, the Hornets had several standout performances.
Ward scored 20 points and coralled a season-high 15 rebounds, registering her second double-double and Emmanuel had ended the game with 16 points and eight rebounds.
For Grambling State, Saxon had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Overall, the Hornets blocked a season-high of 10 shots for that afternoon.