Despite rough final few minutes, Southern women hold off Alabama State 53-49

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Southern women’s basketball team seemed to be rolling toward its fifth consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference victory.

The Jaguars led Alabama State by double figures for nearly all of the first 34 minutes, but then everything changed. They started missing shots and turning the ball over, and they watched their lead shrink to a point.

But two free throws by Britney Washington and two big defensive plays by Jasmine Jefferson saved the day in the final minute as Southern beat the Lady Hornets 53-49 on Monday night in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

The Jaguars, 8-10 and 6-2 in the SWAC, visit Alcorn State on Saturday. ASU fell to 8-9 and 4-3.

“I thought we played solid basketball for about 28 minutes, then we just lost focus,” Southern coach Sandy Pugh said. “We made a lot of mental mistakes, especially on defense. It was a lot of little things.”

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