MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The Alabama State women's basketball team went into the half beating Alabama A&M 32-29, but could not hang on in the second half, falling 71-63 to the Bulldogs at the Dunn-Olier Acadome on Saturday.
The Hornets (6-22, 4-12) had three players score in double figures, led by Cordasia Harris, who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Taylor Smith tacked on 13 points, four assists and two steals off of the bench and Kaitlyn Bryant helped out with 10 points and two steals off of the bench.
Alabama State shared the ball well in Saturday's game, racking up 15 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, Amari Franklin led the way for the Hornets with five assists.
The Alabama State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Saturday's game, forcing 19 Alabama A&M turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 21 points on the other end of the floor. Smith's two steals led the way individually for the Hornets.
How It Happened
After falling behind 19-10, Alabama State went on a 7-0 run with 1:27 left in the first quarter to narrow its deficit to 19-17, a score that would hold for the rest of the period.
Alabama State then started off the second quarter by going on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a three from Smith, to take a 25-19 lead. The Bulldogs cut into that lead, but the Hornets still enjoyed a 32-29 advantage heading into halftime. Alabama State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 15 points.
Alabama State then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Bulldogs 48-47 entering the fourth. Alabama State played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 15 points in the paint.
Alabama A&M kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 71-58 advantage before Alabama State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Kristian Jackson's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 71-63 with 1:21 to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Alabama State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» Cordasia Harris notched her eighth double-double for the season for the Hornets with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
» Alabama State recorded 15 total assists in the game.
» The Alabama State bench made an impact by adding 30 points to its scoring output.
» Taylor Smith and Kaitlyn Bryant came off the bench to score 13 and 10 points, respectively.
» The Alabama State defense forced 19 turnovers.
» Alabama State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Cordasia Harris led the Hornets with 18 points.
» Alabama State got a team-high 11 rebounds from Harris.
