Slowing down Mississippi Valley State scorers Christina Reed and Ashley Beals was at the top of the priority list for the Alabama State women's basketball team in a SWAC contest at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on Monday. 
 
With Reed ranked ninth in the SWAC in scoring (11.7 points per game) and Beals ranked 10^th (11.6 points per game), the Lady Hornets knew it had to keep an eye on them. 
 
After a back-and-forth opening 32 minutes, Alabama State surged down the stretch with a 13-4 run over a three-minute stretch to grab a 61-57 SWAC victory. 
 
It didn't come easy for Alabama State (11-10 overall, 7-4 SWAC), but the Lady Hornets forced key turnovers and made a couple of clutch baskets in crunch time to ensure victory. 
 
Sophomore Daniele Ewert got an enormous offensive rebound and put it in the hoop to make it 59-55 ASU with 1:42 to go. 
 
But the Devilettes' A'Shanti Weathers drew a foul and made both free throws to make it interesting. 
 
With the Lady Hornets clinging to a two-point lead, Jasmine Peeples intercepted a pass for a steal.  Valley quickly fouled three consecutive times to put Britney Wright on the line, who sank both free throws to pad a four-point lead. 
 
Wright finished with a team-high 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting to go along with a team-best seven rebounds. 
 
Peeples had 12 points, six blocks, three steals and five rebounds.  It was the second-most blocks that Peeples has had in a game this season.   The 6-foot-2 center has 68 blocks for 3.23 blocks per contest. 
 
Beal scored 16 points, but shot 5-of-17 from the field including 6-of-11 from the line.  Beal also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds with a steal and a block. 
 
Marred by foul trouble, Reed was held in check with just two points on 1-of-3 shooting. 
 
Mississippi Valley State (3-19, 1-10 SWAC) entered the contest averaging the most turnovers per game in the SWAC.  The Lady Hornets were able to score 21 points off 18 Devilettes turnovers.
 
The Lady Hornets' key run began with just under eight minutes to play. 
 
Sophomore guard Kayla Tucker knocked down a 3-pointer from the straightaway to tie it at 44 with 7:49 to go. 
 
Freshman Kayla Stephens threw a head fake, drove right and drew contact before drilling a long jumper.  Stephens made good on the free throw to push it to a 49-46 ASU lead with 6:39 left. 
 
Tucker knocked down a long 3-pointer about three feet behind the line to give the Lady Hornets a six-point advantage. 
 
Wright made a power move inside on the spin and banked a shot with 4:45 left.  With the shot clock winding down, Tucker dialed it up from long distance to push the lead to 57-48 with 4:02. 
 
Tucker was 3-of-4 from downtown to close with nine points.  Ewert had 11 points including 7-of-9 from the line. 
 
Valley came out ready to begin the second half.
 
The Devilettes recaptured a 33-31 lead on a pair of free throws from Beals to cap a 6-0 run with 18:54 left in the game.  
 
Ties and lead changes were common with the score being tied 12 times with eight lead changes. 
 
ASU started with an 11-4 run capped by a Peeples jumper with 12:04 remaining in the first half.   Valley answered with a 10-3 run to knot the score at 14 all when Shada Nolen made a jumper with 8:57 to go. 
 
The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes before a 3-pointer by Valley's Kadedjah Stevens gave the Devilettes a 25-22 advantage with 4:13 left. 
 
ASU responded with a 9-2 run on the strength of free throw shooting by Peeples and Ewert.  Peeples made 3-of-4 from the line while Ewert sank all six of her attempts to make it 31-27 ASU with nine seconds remaining. 
 
The Lady Hornets entered halftime with a 31-28 lead.   
 
The Lady Hornets will next play Alabama A&M on Saturday at 3 p.m. in a SWAC showdown.