2017-18 Women's Basketball Week 16 Release

Follow The SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE 2017-18 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEEK 16 RELEASE www.swac.org Contact: Ed Bailey • 205-241-3464 • [email protected] 2017-18 STANDINGS Conf. Pct. PF PA OVR Pct. PF PA H A N L10 Stk Southern 12-3 .800 66.9 58.2 13-11 .542 65.5 64.7 8-0 5-10 0-1 8-2 W 1 Texas So. 10-4 .714 64.9 57.3 15-10 .600 63.9 58.9 7-3 6-7 2-0 8-2 L 1 Grambling 10-4 .714 71.8 67.8 13-12 .520 66.1 68.4 8-2 5-9 0-1 7-3 W 1 Prairie View 9-5 .643 70.6 66.2 11-14 .440 70.1 71.1 7-3 4-10 0-1 7-3 W 3 Jackson State 7-7 .500 71.9 68.6 12-11 .522 73.2 67.6 8-4 4-7 0-0 4-6 L 4 Alcorn State 7-8 .467 65.1 68.6 11-15 .423 64.8 69.5 6-3 5-10 0-2 5-5 W 1 Alabama State 6-8 .429 60.1 64.0 8-17 .320 55.0 68.4 6-5 2-11 0-1 4-6 L 1 Alabama A&M 5-9 .357 54.8 59.2 10-15 .400 55.6 61.6 5-5 5-9 0-1 3-7 L 1 Ark.-Pine Bluff 4-11 .267 57.3 63.8 6-19 .240 55.1 68.7 5-5 1-12 0-2 3-7 W 1 Miss. Valley 2-13 .133 58.4 67.3 2-25 .074 57.0 73.6 1-9 1-11 0-5 2-8 L 3

LAST WEEK'S SCORES UPCOMING SCHEDULE NEWS AND NOTES •Southern has clinched a top-4 seed and is guaranteed to Monday, February 19 Saturday, February 24 host a first-round game during the 2018 SWAC Basketball Prairie View 75, Miss. Valley State 74 Grambling State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tournament. Texas Southern can be next to clinch a first- Grambling, La., 3:00 p.m. round home game with a win OR a loss by Jackson State. Southern 58, Alabama A&M 46 Grambling State would clinch a top-4 seed with a win over Prairie View vs. Alabama State AND a Jackson State loss. Prairie View clinches a top-4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 61,.Texas Prairie View, Texas, 3:00 p.m. seed with a win AND losses by Jackson State, Alcorn State Southern 59 and Alabama State. Alcorn State vs. Southern •Reigning SWAC Player of the Week Shala Dobbins scored Alcorn State 65, Alabama State 57 Lorman, Miss., 3:00 p.m. a career-high 40 points during Prairie View's win over UAPB last Saturday. Dobbins is the first SWAC women's Saturday, February 17 Jackson State vs. Miss. Valley State player in six-plus years to score 40 or more points in a Texas Southern 72, Miss. Valley State Jackson, Miss., 3:00 p.m. game (Tanika Jackson of Alabama State scored 42 points 53 vs. Oakwood in Dec. 2010). Dobbins is also in striking Texas Southern vs. Alabama A&M distance of the NCAA single-season mark for free throws Alabama A&M 74, Alcorn State 63 Houston, Texas, 5:30 p.m. made. Additionally, she holds the 2017-18 single-game high among NCAA D-I women's players for free throws made (22 vs. UAPB). Prairie View 89, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Monday, February 26 72 Grambling State vs. Miss. Valley State • Mississippi Valley has been mathematically eliminated Grambling, La., 5:30 p.m. from tournament contention, leaving the field almost Alabama State 58, Southern 56 decided, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff remains in a battle against Prairie View vs. Alabama A&M Alabama A&M for the final spot Grambling State 93, Jackson State Prairie View, Texas, 5:30 p.m 89 (OT) •Grambling State's Jazmin Boyd notched a career-high 31 Jackson State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff points during the Lady Tigers' 93-89 OT win over Jackson State. Boyd will try to build on her big game against UAPB Jackson, Miss., 5:30 p.m. and Mississippi Valley, the latter of whom she has struggled against lately. Boyd is averaging just 8.5 points per night in Texas Southern vs. Alabama State her last four games vs. the Devilettes. Houston, Texas, 5:30 p.m. • Alabama A&M has won 10 games in a single-season for the first time since 2011-2012. That year, Alabama A&M finished second in regular season standings.

• Grambling's Shakyla Hill was named the United States Sports Academy's Female Athlete of the Month for January. 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball • Week 16 Release 2017-18 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS AND HONORS

Shawntayla Harris rounds out the team at center.

In the event that a player was named to the first team during the postseason and does not return, the second-team player for that position was elevated to the first team. Players were ranked in their position based on the number of votes received.

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR Shakyla Hill, Grambling State

PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Alexus Freeman, Alcorn State

PRESEASON ALL-SWAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL - FIRST TEAM Guard - Shakyla Hill, Grambling State, Joyce Kennerson, Texas Southern Forward - Brianna Green, Southern, Artavia Ford, Texas Southern BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On the heels of its first Southwestern Athletic Center - Tatyana Calhoun, Alabama State Conference women’s basketball tournament championship in program history, Texas Southern has been selected as the preseason favorite to win PRESEASON ALL-SWAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL - SECOND TEAM the conference crown in the 2017-18 season in a poll of the league’s head Guard - Jazmin Boyd, Grambling State, *Monisha Neal, Grambling State, coaches and sports information directors. The announcement was made *Alexus Freeman, Alcorn State during the SWAC’s annual tip-off media teleconference Wednesday morning. Forward - Breasia McElrath, Texas Southern, *La’Sha Haynes, Prairie View A&M, *Jazmine Torian, Grambling State The Lady Tigers, who earned a share of the regular-season crown -- for Center - Shawntayla Harris, Arkansas-Pine Bluff the second-straight season -- alongside Grambling State thanks to identical 14-4 records in league play, posted a 23-10 overall record on their way to the tournament championship. Texas Southern narrowly outpointed tournament finalist and co-regular season champion Grambling State 149-146 inthe predicted order of finish.

Alabama State (120 points) was tabbed to finish third, with Southern (108 MEDIA CONTACTS points) and Alcorn State (89 points) rounding out the top five. Slotted to Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) finish sixth through 10th in the preseason prognostications were Prairie View Ed Bailey A&M (73 points), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (66 points), Jackson State (63 points), Email: [email protected] Phone: 205-241-3464 Alabama A&M (34 points) Mississippi Valley State (32 points). Website: SWAC.org Grambling State guard Shakyla Hill was chosen as the preseason Player of the Alabama A&M (AAMU) Mississippi Valley (MVSU) Year after a sophomore season filled with stat-sheet stuffing performances. Janay Roberson LaMonica Scott In guiding Grambling to the No. 1 seed in the SWAC Women’s Basketball Email: janay.roberson@aamu. Email: lamonica.scott@mvsu. Tournament last season, Hill was the only player in the league to rank in the edu eduPhone: 662-254-8378 top five in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and field goal percentage last Phone: 256-372-4005 Website: mvsusports.com year. Hill averaged 15 points a game to go with 7.8 boards per night, good Website: aamusports.com for fifth and third in the conference ranks, respectively. The Little Rock, Ark. Prairie View A&M (PVAM) native led the league in assists (4.2), steals (3.0) and field goal percentage Alabama State (ALST) LaTonia Thirston (48.2) last season. Joidon Jennings Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 936-261-9106 Alcorn State picked up the preseason Defensive Player of the Year selection Phone: 334-229-5211 Website: pvpanthers.com for the second-straight season, as guard Alexus Freeman earned the nod. Website: bamastatesports.com The SWAC Newcomer of the Year last season, Freeman -- who averaged Southern (SUBR) a shade under 11 points a game to go with 5.6 boards and 3.3 assists -- Alcorn State (ALCN) Christopher Jones finished second in the league steals per game (2.4) in anchoring one of the Pierce Yarberry Email: [email protected] better team ball-hawking efforts in the conference last season, as Alcorn Email: [email protected] Phone: 225-771-3791 State finished third in team steals per game at 9.9 and in terms of league Phone: 601-877-6501 Website: gojagsports.com play, was second in the league in steals (10.2) and opponent field goal Website: alcornsports.com percentage from the three-point line (23.0). Texas Southern (TXSO) Grambling State (GRAM) Alan Wiederhold Texas Southern guard and 2017 SWAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Brian Howard Email: [email protected] MVP Joyce Kennerson, who led the league in scoring at 18.3 points per Email: [email protected] Phone: 713-313-6829 game, joins Hill on the preseason first team along with Southern’s Brianna Phone: 318-274-6562 Website: tsusports.com Green and Texas Southern’s Artavia Ford at the forward spots, and Alabama Website: gsutigers.com State’s Tatyana Calhoun at center. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (UAPB) Jackson State (JKST) Cameo Stokes The second team consists of Grambling State guards Jazmin Boyd and Wesley Peterson Email: [email protected] Monisha Neal along with Freeman. At forward, Texas Southern’s Breasia Email: wesley.l.peterson@jsums. Phone: 870-575-7955 McElrath, Prairie View’s La’Sha Haynes and Grambling’s Jazmine Torian edu Website: uapblionsroar.com earned preseason All-SWAC considerations. Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Phone: 601-979-5859 Website: gojsutigers.com 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball • Week 16 Release RECENT RECAPS Alabama A&M

Southern 58, Alabama A&M 46

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Three Southern players scored in double-figures as the Jagaurs (12-11, 11-3 SWAC) defeated Alabama A&M 58-46 Monday night at T.M. Elmore Gymnasium during Southwestern Athletic Conference action.

Briana Green led Southern with 18 points, nine rebounds, six steals and three assists. Samantha Duncan added 14 points and six rebounds, and Courtney Parsons chipped in 11.

DeShawna Harper and Alexandra Johnson each scored 12 points to lead AAMU (10-14, 5-8 SWAC), with Johnson pulling down a game-high 22 rebounds.

Southern opened the game on a 10-3 run en route to a 20-15 lead after one, and managed to stifle Alabama A&M in the second quarter as it pushed its lead to double-digits (34-22). Johnson powered a comeback attempt in the third as the Lady Bulldogs got the deficit down to five, but Southern extended its lead to eight to head into the fourth. The Jaguars then pulled away as Alabama A&M got no closer than five.

Southern shot 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the floor, and Alabama A&M was 19-of-61 (31.1 percent) from the field. Southern forced AAMU into 23 turnovers during the game.

Alabama State

Alcorn State 65, Alabama State 57

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Kayla Stephens led Alabama State with a near double-double, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Alcorn State as the Lady Hornets fell 65-57 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action Monday night.

Stephens just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds to lead Alabama State on the night, while Shamyiah Smith and Arleatha Gipson added 10 points. Calhoun chipped in eight points and five rebounds.

Alabama State (8-16, 6-7 SWAC) came up short in a game that saw the lead exchanged twelve different times. Alcorn State (10-15, 6-8 SWAC) led 25-18 to start the second half of play in which the Lady Hornets were able to cut the lead to one to end the stanza on a basket by Tatyana Calhoun. Alabama State took their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter after trailing by 21 in the first half.

The Lady Hornets trailed 49-48 with 4:49 to play, but a basket through contact by Alcorn’s Alexus Freeman ignited a 6-2 run and swung the lead into the Lady Braves’ favor for the final time where they were able to finish the game from the free throw line.

Alabama State finished the night shooting 39.6 (21-of-53) percent from the floor, 54.2 (13-of-24) percent from the free throw line and 15.4 (2-of-13) percent from beyond the arc.

Freeman led Alcorn with 16 points, while Miracle Rushing finished with a double-double at 10 points and 10 rebounds. Alcorn shot 38.8 (26-of-67) percent from the floor and 6.7 (1-of-15) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 60 (12-of-20) percent from the free throw line.

Courtesy: Alabama State Athletic Strategic Communications 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball • Week 16 Release RECENT RECAPS Alcorn State

Alcorn State 65, Alabama State 57

Alabama State finished the night shooting 39.6 (21-of-53) percent from the floor, 54.2 (13-of-24) percent from the free throw line and 15.4 (2-of-13) percent from beyond the arc.

Freeman led Alcorn with 16 points, while MiracleAL Rushing finishedCO with a double-doubleRN at 10 points and 10 rebounds. Alcorn shot 38.8 (26-of-67) percent from the floor and 6.7 (1-of-15) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 60 (12-of-20) percent from the free throw line.

Courtesy: Alabama State Athletic Strategic Communications

Grambling State

Grambling State 93, Jackson State 89 (OT)

GRAMBLING, La. - Jazmin Boyd and Justice Coleman combined to score 61 points as the Grambling State University women’s basketball team got back into the win column with a thrilling 93-89 overtime victory over Jackson State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Saturday at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

Grambling State led, 18-15 after one period, but Jackson State took a 38-36 lead into the break. JSU led by just one, 57-56, heading into the final quarter. Grambling State led by three down the stretch, but a 3-pointer by Chelsea Causey tied the game at 71 and forced overtime.

Boyd paced Grambling State (13-12 overall, 10-4 SWAC) with her career-high 31 points and added three rebounds, four assists and one steal. Coleman tossed in a career-high 30 points, five rebounds and one steal. Monisha Neal chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Shakyla Hill finished with a double-double of 10 points and 1 assists, with seven rebounds and four steals.

Marneisha Hamer led Jackson State (12-11, 7-7) with 27 points, six rebounds, one assists and one steal. Causey registered a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Christina Ellis added 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Grambling State took a 60-59 advantage on a bucket by Boyd with 7:09 left in the fourth quarter, but Jackson State answered and grabbed a 65-63 lead after a layup by Katie Hunt with 4:03 remaining.

Grambling State took control for the next three minutes and took a 71-67 lead after two free throws by Boyd with 1:52 left, but again Jackson State answered and got buckets by Jasmine Redmon and Causey to tie the game at 71 and force overtime.

In the extra period, Grambling State took an 88-86 lead after a jumper by Neal with 1:19 left and a free throw by Hill pushed the margin to 89-86 with 32 seconds remaining. Jackson State tied the game at 89 after a 3-pointer by Ellis with 13 seconds left, but Grambling State got a layup by Neal and Alexus Williams down the stretch to pick up the victory.

Courtesy: Grambling State Sports Information 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball • Week 16 Release RECENT RECAPS Jackson State

Grambling State 93, Jackson State 89 (OT)

Grambling State took a 60-59 advantage on a bucket by Boyd with 7:09 left in the fourth quarter, but Jackson State answered and grabbed a 65-63 lead after a layup by Katie Hunt with 4:03 remaining.

Courtesy: Grambling State Sports Information

Mississippi Valley State

Prairie View A&M 75, Mississippi Valley State 74

ITTA BENA, Miss. - Shala Dobbins scored 12 of her team-high 22 points in helping Prairie View A&M fend off Mississippi Valley State 75-74 Monday night at Harrison HPER Complex during Southwestern Athletic Conference action.

Down 10 at the break, the Lady Panthers (11-14, 9-5 SWAC) took control of the contest with a big third quarter powered by the three-pointer. Dominique Newman buried two treys to spark the Panthers' 16-5 run to begin the frame. After two free throws by La'Neique Nealey brought PVAMU within one, the Devilettes (2-25, 2-13 SWAC) responded with five unanswered points.

After Dobbins coverted two free throws, Talisha Presley then knocked down two threes to give Prairie View its first lead since the opening moments of the game. In the fourth, Dobbins asserted herself and MVSU struggled to break back in front until LaKendra Bassett drained a three with 1:03 left to make it 70-68, but after a Chelsea Tieuel free throw closed the deficit to one, Dobbins outscored Mississippi Valley 6-4 the rest of the way. MVSU had a chance to win it at the end, but Kristy Parker and Bassett were unable to cash-in on three tries as PVAMU held on.

Newman scored 15 for Prairie View, and Tieuel added 11 points and nine rebounds. Jhyrah Cobb corralled 12 boards and chipped in seven points. Makayla Bonner notched a double-double for MVSU with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Bassett added 14 points with six assists, and Parker and Sydney Floyd each scored 13. 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball • Week 16 Release RECENT RECAPS Prairie View A&M

Prairie View A&M 75, Mississippi Valley State 74

Southern

Southern 58, Alabama A&M 46

Briana Green led Southern with 18 points, nine rebounds, six steals and three assists. Samantha Duncan added 14 points and six rebounds, and Courtney Parsons chipped in 11.

DeShawna Harper and Alexandra Johnson each scored 12 points to lead AAMU (10-14, 5-8 SWAC), with Johnson pulling down a game-high 22 rebounds.

Southern shot 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the floor, and Alabama A&M was 19-of-61 (31.1 percent) from the field. Southern forced AAMU into 23 turnovers during the game. 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball • Week 15 Release RECENT RECAPS Texas Southern

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 61, Texas Southern 59

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Behind a 20-point, nine-rebound effort from Faith Ohanta and a fourth-quarter comeback capped by a game-winner from Shawntayla Harris, Arkansas-Pine Bluff upset Texas Southern 61-59 Monday night at H.O. Clemmons Arena during Southwestern Athletic Conference action.

Malaik Muhammad added 15 points and five rebounds for the Lady Lions (6-19, 4-11 SWAC), who managed to keep their slim tournament hopes alive with the win and prevent Texas Southern from clinching a top-4 seed in the SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament.

Kaitlyn Palmer led Texas Southern (15-10, 10-4 SWAC) with a career-best 29 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three-point land. Joyce Kennerson scored 16 points and pulled down four boards, but struggled from the field shooting 4-of-19 in the game.

After closing a 24-13 third quarter with a 10-4 run punctuated by back-to-back Palmer treys to take a 50-44 lead into the final quarter, Texas Southern was unable to close out the homestanding Lady Lions. Down 55-49, UAPB stormed back as consecutive lay-ups by Ohanta and a perfect trip to the stripe by Muhammad tied things up with 4:20 left. Kennerson later cashed in on a stint at the foul line, and a Palmer lay-up made the game 59-55 TSU with 2:28 left.

However, the Lady Lions dominated defensively from there, forcing four turnovers and limiting Texas Southern to one shot attempt the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Harris scored six points over the remainder of the game, including the decisive layup with two seconds left. Muhammad sealed the win with a pick-pocket at the expense of Nycolle Smith.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 61, Texas Southern 59

Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks Joyce Kennerson, Miracle Rushing, Shakyla Hill Shakyla Hill Kailyn Gideon, TSU (24.3 PPG) Alcorn (9.0 RPG) GSU (5.6 APG) GSU (4.9 SPG) GSU (2.2 BPG)

COACH RECORDS SWAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Week # POTW School Alabama A&M Week 1 Tia Sanders Alcorn State Margaret Richards- Record at AAMU Week 2 Shala Dobbins Prairie View 12-40 (2nd year) / Overall 12-40 (2nd Week 3 Joyce Kennerson Texas Southern year) Week 4 Joyce Kennerson Texas Southern Week 5 Shakyla Hill Grambling State Alabama State Week 6 LaKendra Bassett Mississippi Valley St. Freda Freeman-Jackson - Record at Week 7 Kristy Parker Mississippi Valley St. ASU 297-290 (20th year) / Overall 297- Week 8 Derica Wiggins Jackson State 290 (20th year) Week 9 Shakyla Hill Grambling State Week 10 Lauren McKee Alabama A&M Alcorn State Week 11 Alexus Freeman Alcorn State Courtney Pruitt - Record at ALCN 31- 54 (3rd year) / Overall 142-78 (12th Week 12 LaKendra Bassett Mississippi Valley St. year) Week 13 Christina Ellis Jackson State Week 14 Joyce Kennerson Texas Southern Grambling State Week 15 Shala Dobbins Prairie View Freddie Murray- Record at GSU 32-27 Week 16 (2nd year) / Overall 32-27 (2nd year) Week 17

Jackson State Surina Dixon - Record at JSU 75-91 (5th year) / Overall 216-208 (11th year) Mississippi Valley State STAY CONNECTED Ashley Walker - Record at MVSU 2-25 (1st year) / Overall 41-42 (3rd year) The Southwestern Athletic Conference main- Alabama A&M: @AAMUBulldogs tains its website at swac.org. There, you can @aamuwomensbball Prairie View A&M find the most up-to-date athletics news, notes, Ravon Justice - Record at PVAMU results and statistics on each of our member Alabama State: @BamaStateWBB 24-32 (2nd year) / Overall 24-32 (2nd institutions. @BamaStateSports year) For women’s basketball, results are updated as Alcorn State: @BRAVESSPORTS matches become final. Conference and team Southern statistics are updated no later than the following Grambling State: @GSU_TIGERS Sandy Pugh - Record at SU 302-216 morning after a given day of competition. (17th year) / Overall 379-218 (21st Jackson State: @JStateTigers Additionally, members of the media will be able year) to access the season’s weekly releases as well Miss. Valley St.: @MVSUDevilSports as current statistics for each team, including Texas Southern conference leaders and overall Prairie View A&M: @PVAMUPanthers Johnetta Hayes-Perry - Record at TSU standings. 96-56 (5th year) / Overall 139-86 (7th Southern: @JaguarsWBB You can follow our schools’ respective teams on @SouthernUSports year) Twitter at the following accounts: Texas Southern: @TXSOTigers Arkansas-Pine Bluff @TSUWomensHoops Nate Kilbert - Record at UAPB: 48-127 (5th year) / Overall 159-283 (14th year) Ark.-Pine Bluff: @UAPBLionsRoar