MONTGOMERY, Ala. | A late fourth quarter comeback came up short for Alabama State as they suffered their first loss of the season, falling at home to Southern 60-56 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome Monday night.
 
Shmya Ward led Alabama State (4-1, 4-1 SWAC) with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Ayana Emmanuel added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Hornets who finished the night shooting 42.6 (20-for-47) percent from the floor and 33.3 (4-for-12) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Genovea Johnson finished with 20 points for Southern who finished the night shooting 40.7 (22-for-54) percent from the floor.

After Southern tied the game in the opening seconds of the game, Alabama State went on an 8-2 run over a span of five minutes in the opening quarter to take a 10-4 lead with 3:31 to play. The Lady Hornets used baskets by Emmanuel, Ward, and Kaeani Berry to stretch the lead early in the game. However, Southern went on an 8-0 run of their own to close out the opening quarter to take a 12-10 lead.
 
The second quarter was much the same as the two teams traded baskets with neither holding more than a three point lead. Trailing by one with 1:25 remaining in the half, Hannah White drained a three-pointer to give the Lady Hornets a 29-27 lead before back-to-back baskets by Southern gave the Lady Jags the lead at the break (31-29).
 
Alabama State fell behind by three early in the third quarter before a Tyesha Rudolph lay-up with 8:17 to play in the quarter drew Alabama State to within one at 34-33. Southern took a three point lead on a pair of occasions in the quarter, with Alabama State able to answer each until the Lady Jags took a 41-35 lead with 4:57 to play in the quarter. Alabama State was able to pull back to within three at 43-40 on a Ward lay-up with just 34 seconds to play, and that is where the game stood heading to the final stanza.
 
Alabama State found itself down by 10 (58-48) with 2:54 to play but chipped away at the lead with three free throws and a Ward lay-up to trim the lead to 58-53 with 1:45 to play. They were able to knock it down to 58-54 with 47.4 seconds to play on an Emmanuel free throw after three consecutive Southern turnovers. Ward pulled the Lady Hornets to within two with just 27.5 seconds remaining after putting back an Emmanuel miss, 58-56 and forcing a Southern timeout.
 
The Lady Jags were able to seal the game with free throws in the final 27 second to hold on for the win.
 
Alabama State returns to action Wednesday afternoon at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome against Grambling State, with tip set for 2 pm. The game is a makeup of a game that was postponed on January 2 due to the Grambling State program being paused due to COVID-19.

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