MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State led wire-to-wire, pulling away from Alabama A&M for a 77-63 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome Saturday afternoon.

Alabama State (10-1, 10-1 SWAC) and Alabama A&M battled throughout the first quarter, before the Lady Hornets opened up a tie game with a 26-11 in the second quarter to take a 40-25 lead at the intermission. Alabama State opened a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, 64-44 with 7:33 remaining in the contest – their largest of the night.

The Lady Hornets finished the night shooting 47.3 (26-for-55) percent from the floor and 40.0 (6-of-15) percent from beyond the arc in the win. They also finished the night shooting 67.9 (19-for-28) percent from the free throw line, while outrebounding Alabama A&M 47-31.

Ayana Emmanuel scored a game-high 17 points, pushing her career total to 920 points in just three years for the Lady Hornets. Shmya Ward collected another double-double on the season for Alabama State, adding three blocks to her total.

Meanwhile, Alabama A&M finished the night shooting 35.1 (20-for-57) percent from the floor and 33.3 (4-for-12) percent from beyond the arc. Deshawna Harper led the Bulldogs with 19 points, while Dariauna Lewis added a double-double with 12 points and 17 points.

The two teams will meet again Monday night in Huntsville with tip set for 5:30 pm. The game will be carried on the Hornet Sports Network.

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