Box Score Alabama State’s
Nakiya Smith scored 25 points in the 80-43 loss to the Auburn University Tigers in their season opener, Thursday night at the Auburn Arena.<br />
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Alabama State (0-1) was down by 23 points in the first half, and the closet they were able to get was within 19 points with 15:52 left in the second half. Auburn (2-1) continued to run its course as they took a 33 point lead with 2:25 left. The Lady Hornets tried to rally back, but just couldn’t cut the deficit. <br />
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“We knew that this game was going to be a battle for us,” said head women’s basketball coach
Freda Freeman-Jackson. “Auburn has 6-5’s 6-3’s and 6-2 players that we just couldn’t contend with especially with
Quentori Alford out. We knew that this was going to be tough night for us on the boards. We tried to capitalize and put another player in where we could to try to get it done. Over all I was pleased with our performance and we did a good job with what we dealt with.”<br />
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Alabama State had a good night shooting free throws, connecting on 64.3 percent of its shots from the line (9-14). The Tigers meanwhile connected at a 44 percent clip from the field, they had their way in the lane, outscoring Alabama State in the paint 40-10.<br />
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Smith was good on 9-18 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers to lead all players in scoring. Sophomore
Ashley Jones joined Smith in the double-digit scoring club with 10 points and paced the Lady Hornets with seven boards.<br />
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“I felt Nakiya did a great job for us tonight,” said Freeman-Jackson. “We knew coming into this game that we were going to have a challenge, but Nakiya stepped up for us and did the best she could do. Although she scored 25 points it’s not yet a career high for her (42 points). She still has the rest of the season left, this was just the first game.”<br />
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Jones scored the first two points for Alabama State on a jumper from the free throw line, finding themselves on the wrong side of a 14-2 score in less than eight minutes into the contest. Following a three-point shot by
Danielle Gazaway, the Tigers jumped ahead to a 29 point lead 34-5, but Alabama State would try to trim the advantage to 21 thanks to a pair of baskets by Smith and two free throws by Jones to make it a 40-17 ballgame in the first half.<br />
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The momentum would change for the Lady Hornets as they stepped on the floor for the second half of play. Alabama State would bang back-to-back shots to spark a 5-0 run before the Tigers went on a run of their own to take a 37 point lead to end the game 80-43.<br />
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Auburn had four players in double digits in the victory over the Lady Hornets. Blanch Alverson was the Tigers leading scorer with 17. Hasina Muhammad and Chadarryl Clay both had 15 points apiece.<br />
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The Lady Hornets will return to action on Friday, November 23 at the Samford Thanksgiving Invitational. Alabama State will play UAB on the first day at 2 p.m. and host team Samford on the 24<sup>th </sup>at 4:00 p.m. at Samford University.<br />
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GO HORNETS</div>
