CARROLTON, Ga. – After giving its opposition the edge in the first and third quarters, the Alabama State University women's basketball team came back to tie things at the end of regulation, but the extra period ended up favoring the West Georgia Wolves, 80-78, in a Saturday afternoon non-conference game inside The Coliseum.
The Hornets (0-2 overall) received major contributions from senior forwards
Alanah Pooler and
Charlese McClendon, and while it showed signs of growth from its season-opening game against Auburn, it wasn't enough to overcome the Wolves (1-1), who had six people in the scoring column while it executed nearly ten percent better on free-throw attempts in its first win of the year.
Neither team found much space until ASU held a four-point lead with four minutes left in the first, thanks to a pair of McClendon layups. West Georgia scored the next nine points, including three free throws in the final two minutes for a five-point edge heading into the final minute. Pooler capitalized on a late UWG miss, quickly driving down the floor to convert a layup and cut the deficit to three.
The Wolves once again stretched the lead utilizing efficient jumpers and free throws, while Alabama State replied with back-to-back threes to shave the lead down to a pair. UWG went out ahead again, jumping to a nine-point lead with two minutes to go, but a buzzer-beating three by
Ny'Keria Flowers kept it a one-score game.
The third quarter was much of the same, as West Georgia held one- and two-score leads throughout, even going up by ten with just over a minute remaining in the quarter. Bama State responded in the fourth quarter, with a Pooler trey and five points by
Londyn Walker granting a one-point lead with four to play. It went back and forth down the stretch in the final minutes, including four baskets being scored in the final 30 seconds, the last of which was a game-tying three from Flowers to send the game to overtime.
The Lady Hornets were able to tie things several times in the extra period, but the opposition overpowered ASU as it continued putting the ball in the basket at the right times, resulting in the victory for the home team.
Pooler scored 24 points, connecting on ten shots – including 4-for-7 from three – while pulling down six rebounds. Flowers (15) and McClendon (13) each reached double-digit scoring figures, the former adding six rebounds and a team-high six assists while the latter pulling down 19 rebounds, her second-most in a Hornet uniform and best mark since a 21-board performance against Florida A&M in mid-February.
In her continued evaluation of talent, second-year head coach
Johnetta Hayes saw her squad score 37 bench points while holding a 13-9 advantage in fast-break points.
The Lady Hornets travel home to the Joe L. Reed Dunn-Oliver Acadome to face Talladega in its first of three home non-conference contests through the end of the 2026-27 season on Tuesday, Nov. 10, with tipoff set for 5 p.m.
