MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State won their fifth straight game, defeating Mississippi Valley State 75-55 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play Monday night.

Alabama State (9-1, 9-1 SWAC) outscored Mississippi Valley by a combined 22 points in the second and fourth quarters to pull away and stay atop the conference standings heading into a pair of games with Alabama A&M this weekend.

Ayana Emmanuel led all scorers with 20 points, connecting on all nine of her free throw attempts, and dished out four assists. Shmya Ward added 16 points and six rebounds, while blocking three shots. Jayla Crawford added 12 and Tyesha Rudolph scored in double figures for the fifth consecutive game off the bench with 10.

The Lady Hornets finished the night shooting 45.9 (28-for-61) percent from the floor and 30.8 (8-for-26) percent from beyond the arc, making seven more three-pointers than Mississippi Valley State. They also shot a perfect 100 (11-for-11) percent from the free throw line in the win, while forcing 11 turnovers. Meanwhile, Mississippi Valley finished the night shooting 38.6 (22-for-57) percent from the floor and just 8.3 (1-for-12) percent from beyond the arc.

Zakiya Mahoney led Mississippi Valley State with 17 points, and Annalise Brisco 14 in the loss.

Alabama State returns to action Saturday at home inside the Dunn-Oliver Acadome against Alabama A&M. Tip is set for 2 pm and can be seen on the Hornet Sports Network. Season tickets are currently on sale for the remainder of the 2021 season by contacting the Alabama State University Ticket Office. Only season ticket holders will be admitted into the venue, and Alabama State is a mask-mandatory campus.

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