MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State had a chance to win at the buzzer but was unable to get a clean shot off as it fell, 68-69, to Grambling State in both teams' regular season finale at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome Saturday evening.
 
The Lady Hornets (9-20, 6-12 SWAC) had an opportunity late but weren't able to knot things up or win the game. After Ayana Emmanuel hit a free throw with three seconds left to cut things to one, Taylor Aikerson fought through a good bit of contact and managed to get the ball in the air from mid-range but the ball fell short giving Grambling (5-24, 4-14 SWAC) the win.
 
The Lady Tigers took the lead with seven seconds remaining after Ariel Williams knocked down a couple of free throws following a loose-ball foul.
 
Justice Coleman gave Grambling a 13-point lead with free throws at the 2:33 mark of the third quarter. Coleman led all players with 24 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double to finish her junior season on a high note.
 
Alabama State erased that deficit with a 22-9 run, sparked by eight points from Emmanuel and seven from Jayla Crawford. Emmanuel led the squad with 22 points in the contest – she finished the season with 49 combined points in the two games against Grambling – while Crawford posted 11 points of her own.
 
Aniyah Smith and Courtney Lee both finished in double figures, as well, recording 10 points apiece. Smith was two rebounds shy of a double-double with eight boards and Lee led the team with three steals to go along with four assists.
 
Saturday marked the final game at the Acadome for seniors Zomoria Clark and Victoria Harvey. A senior from Wetumpka, Clark finished with a couple of points, four rebounds and two blocks, while Harvey, a Millbrook native, scored six points.
 
Up Next
After the loss, Alabama State slipped back into the No. 8 seed of the SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament and will open things with a quarterfinal matchup at top-seed Jackson State Tuesday night in Jackson.
  
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