Feb. 25, 2006

Final Stats

HOUSTON, Tex. - For the second time this season, Texas Southern held a lead over Alabama State with less than two minutes remaining. This time, though, the Lady Hornets could not erase the deficit.

Trailing by two points with the ball, ASU missed its final five shots en route to a 55-51 loss to the last place Lady Tigers. The loss was the third straight and fourth in the last five conference games for Bama State (11-13, 8-7).

"We did a terrible job executing down the stretch," head coach Freda Freeman-Jackson said. "We didn't do a good job getting the ball inside and took some ill-advised outside shots."

The Lady Hornets dug their own hole in the first half, committing 17 turnovers that led to 14 TSU points and a 30-20 halftime deficit.

"Anytime you have (17) turnovers in a half, it doesn't matter who you're playing, it's going to be tough to win," Freeman-Jackson said.

The Lady Hornets turned up the intensity defensively in the second half, pressuring the young Lady Tigers guards to extinguish the 10-point halftime deficit. Thirteen turnovers led to 13 points in the final period for ASU, including a steal and layup by Tashia Holston with 9:23 left that knotted the score at 38.

ASU's ability to score in the low post also contributed to the comeback effort as forwards Danielle Sanders (16 points, 6-of-10 from field) and Latille Ross (12 points, 13 rebounds) put in work around the basket.

But with the game tied at 44, Texas Southern's Monica Okolo drained a 3-pointer to give the Lady Tigers the lead for good. The Lady Hornets would get only one more basket in the paint was unable to get the turnovers that fueled their second half comeback.

Okolo scored 14 points and Yernise Rivera added 10 for Texas Southern while Frantina Coleman (10 points, six rebounds, three steals) also scored in double figures for ASU, which plays at Prairie View A&M on Monday night.