MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State battled to keep it close, but league champion Jackson State pulled away late with a 76-56 Southwestern Athletic Conference win Thursday night at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
 
Despite trailing by double-digits for the majority of the ballgame, the Lady Hornets (9-19, 6-10 SWAC) fought back and cut it to just five with 1:40 left in the third quarter with a 19-5 run. Ayana Emmanuel and Taylor Aikerson contributed five three pointers in that run alone – Emmanuel with three and Aikerson with two.
 
Aikerson and Jayla Crawford tied for the team-lead with 16 points apiece in the contest. Aikerson made four threes overall in the game, while Crawford added a couple of long range makes of her own. Emmanuel also scored in double-figures with 12 points.
 
However, things swung back in Jackson State's (18-9, 16-1 SWAC) favor quickly, as the newly crowned conference regular season champions charged ahead with a 20-0 run of their own to put things out of reach.
 
Ameshya Williams and Dayzsha Rogan led all scorers, both with 20 points in the game. Williams shot 9-for-10 from the floor and dominated in the paint, grabbing 10 rebounds to secure the double-double, while Rogan knocked down three three-pointers.
 
With the loss, the Lady Hornets will not know their opponent for next Tuesday's SWAC quarterfinal matchup on the road until after Saturday's round of games. If Alabama State beats Grambling, it will head to Texas Southern – if Grambling and UAPB both win Saturday, the Hornets head for a rematch with Jackson State.
 
Up Next
The final game on the floor of the Dunn-Oliver Acadome will take place Saturday at 3 p.m. as Alabama State plays host to Grambling State on Senior Day. The women's basketball program will honor a pair of senior players – Victoria Harvey and Zomoria Clark – and manager Kyndra Heard.
  
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