Alabama State outmuscles Alabama A&M

Alabama State University Lady Hornets Coach Freda Freeman-Jackson

BOSSIER CITY, La. - The Alabama A&M women's basketball team's dream of reaching its first SWAC tournament championship game died Friday at the hands of a familiar foe. Alabama State closed Friday's semifinal game on an 11-4 run over the final 3:50 to end the Bulldogs' season with a 61-53 loss. A&M (16-13) entered the semifinal game as a higher seed for the first time and had swept the Hornets during the regular season.

Alabama State controlled the physical nature of the game, especially over the last 15 minutes. Conference player of the year Katrich Williams' only 3-point basket of the game at the 16:38 mark gave A&M a five-point lead at 32-27. Williams finished with a game-high 24 points, but struggled to free herself from Alabama State's defensive pressure. "There were a lot of bumps and pushes out there," A&M coach Altherias Warmley said. "We needed to be more responsive to their physical play, and we failed to do that today."

The Bulldogs' response to the physical play came to a head with 1:41 to play in the first half when Chelsea Marshall and Alabama's Erica Henderson entangled on an off-ball screen. Henderson was tagged with a personal foul, but officials determined that Marshall threw a punch in the altercation and was ejected. "Clearly my player made an inappropriate reaction to that situation," Warmley said.

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Pugh says ‘game stolen from us’

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Southern University’s women’s basketball coach Sandy Pugh didn’t consider Saturday’s 65-62 loss to Alabama A&M a heartbreaker. Not under these circumstances. “I’m not sure we lost the game,” Pugh said. “I feel the game was stolen from us.” The Jaguars were whistled for 27 fouls to 15 for the Bulldogs. And A&M shot 31 free throws to Southern’s 16. And Southern had two players foul out while no one for A&M had as many as four fouls.

The loss played out in heartbreaking fashion. The Jaguars never trailed until Katrich Williams hit three free throws with 11 seconds left for a 63-62 edge. Then Williams iced the win with two more free throws with two seconds left. A&M outscored Southern 23-10 at the foul line. Asked about the disparity in fouls, Pugh said, “Like I said, I don’t feel like we lost the game. I feel like it was stolen from us.” A&M coach Altherias Warmly had her own theory on the foul disparity.

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A familiar tune for A&M Lady Bulldogs

Bulldogs fall in SWAC first round for sixth time

BIRMINGHAM - Alabama A&M women's basketball coach Altherias Warmley had hoped this year would be different. Unfortunately for A&M, it was a lot like the previous ones.

A&M, which struggled early, battled back and appeared to be in control midway through the second half. But A&M faded down the stretch as Mississippi Valley State came away with a 67-61 victory in the opening round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday afternoon at Fair Park Arena.

"We made too many mistakes and got outhustled," said Warmley, whose team committed 20turnovers and was outrebounded 37-26. "Valley played hard and we didn't match their intensity. We made some mistakes at crucial periods in the game and time ran out on us.

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Last chance for A&M seniors to grab SWAC title

Bulldogs will meet Mississippi Valley Thursday

They came at a time when the women's basketball program at Alabama A&M wasn't very good. In fact, when Rebekkah Barnes, Felicia Drummond and Christian Malone and company showed up four years ago, the Bulldogs were in the midst of their sixth straight losing season.

Still, they took a chance and it paid off.

"The best decision is not always the most popular decision," said Barnes, who is from Tampa, Fla. "It's where you feel the most comfortable and where you can make your presence felt." Combined, they have certainly made their presence felt.

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