HOUSTON, Texas – Alabama State University and Texas Southern University will meet for the third time Friday night, however, this time there is more on the line as the two will meet in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) semifinals at the Toyota Center.
The game will tip at 6 pm, with the pregame show beginning at 5:45 pm on the Hornet Sports Network.
Alabama State (14-15) has fallen to Texas Southern twice this season by a combined nine points – four in the last trip to Houston and five at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome. In the two previous meetings, Alabama State has fallen behind early and fought their way back into the games; including in Houston where they were down by double digits until
Damya Toney gave the Lady Hornets a chance to win on their last possession.
In the last meeting, Alabama State trailed by nine to Texas Southern (21-9) in the third quarter but fought their way back to within two at 45-43 with just over two minutes to play.
The game will feature two of the better players in the conference with Alabama State senior forward
Britney Wright, the SWAC Player of the Year, and Texas Southern's Joyce Kennerson. Wright led the conference in scoring this season at 18.4 points per game (22 in conference games) and was in the top five in rebounding at 7.4 per game. Meanwhile, Kennerson was just below Wright, who has averaged 16.5 points per game against Texas Southern, in scoring in the SWAC at 17.9 points per game.
The two-time defending SWAC champion Lady Hornets have Alabama State have not met Texas Southern in the semifinals in previous SWAC Tournaments; however in the last two years, Alabama State has combined to win their SWAC semifinal round games by an average of eight points. The Lady Hornets defeated Grambling State 64-50 in 2014-15, and defeated Jackson State 62-60 in 2013-14.
The Lady Hornets won at least 10 conference games for the third consecutive year under head coach
Freda Freeman-Jackson this season. Of the six conference losses this season, the Lady Hornets lost by an average 6.2 points per game; with five of the six decided by six points or less.
The Lady Hornets have claimed the back-to-back titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons - last year falling to Texas. The last team to win three consecutive conference championships was Grambling State from 1996 until 1999, when they won four consecutive. Jackson State also won four consecutive titles from 1982 to 1985, but no team has won more than back-to-back since 1999.
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