Box Score Poor shooting doomed Alabama State as they fell 57-44 to the Southern University Jaguars on Saturday evening at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

ASU (5-12 overall, 3-3 SWAC) struggled offensively shooting 14-for-53 from the field (26.4 percent) while shooting 78.9 percent from the stripe for the game, including 12 turnovers in the contest.

“You cannot have that many turnovers and think you can finish game successfully,” Head Coach Freda Freeman-Jackson said. “We have to do a much better job at protecting the ball. We were without our point guard tonight (Tailia Arrington), but that's not an excuse.”

Alabama State outrebounded SU by 12 (46-34), but the Lady Hornets had trouble keeping Laneisha Stephens off the boards. She finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

“I was talking to Quentori Alford, letting her know we needed her to step up defensively,” said Freeman-Jackson. “We also wanted her to contribute more offensively, but every time we tried getting the ball to her in the paint, she was looking to kick it out. She was not a factor offensively, which made it harder for us to get the guards going.”

“I changed the line-up a little tonight. I brought Amaria Brown in to bang on the boards with Southern. They are a very athletic squad.”

Sophomore center Ashley Jones was ASU's only double-figure scorer, leading her team with a season-high 12 points. She also had five rebounds. Gazaway finished with nine points, followed by junior forward Amaria Brown with eight points and a team leading eight rebounds in the contest.

The Lady Hornets kept it close in the first half trailing only by four at the break (25-21). Sophomore guard Danielle Gazaway kept ASU in the game, scoring seven points in the half.

“Well, we're going to have to forget about this one and move forward,” stated Freeman-Jackson. “This is one in our back door, and one we needed to win. You have to come up with the victory if you want to stay in the race to win the Southwestern Athletic Championship. We just made our bed a little harder.”

Alabama State will return to the hardwood Monday, January 21 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome to host the Braves of Alcorn State University. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m.
 




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