Women's Basketball Hangs On To Remain Undefeated After Win Over Alabama A&M

The Texas Southern women's basketball team emerged victorious against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs with a final score of 75-65, leaving the Lady Tigers' conference record untouched at 6-0.
 
Saturday's match-up was big as this marked the lone meeting between both teams during the regular season. In addition, AAMU was one game back of TSU in the SWAC standings and the battle was also felt on the sidelines as AAMU head coach Dawn Thornton has history with TSU at two previous institutions.
 
Ahead of today's matchup, TSU head coach Vernette Skeete commented, "They're them and their motto is big energy. Their coach has a very boisterous demeanor in how she gets them to play and their aggressiveness. I think they are going to come out and be really physical and they are going to try to jump on our face and get after us. It's not our style of play; our style of play is more schematic. It's going to be a matter of if they can out-team us."
 
Playing at home, AAMU jumped out to a 15-9 lead as TSU would battle to trim it to one (15-14) after Jaida Belton's jumper with 1:48 left. AAMU closed the quarter out ahead 19-16.
 
The second quarter saw AAMU open with a 7-3 run to lead 26-19 at the 6:31 mark. TSU would turn things around from that point as Courtlyn Loudermill sparked a 17-4 run over the final six minutes with seven points as TSU finished 8-of-11 from the field to claim a 36-30 halftime lead.
 
Both teams scored 17 points in the third quarter, keeping Alabama A&M in the game as TSU held its ground despite several AAMU charges. Leading 44-41 with four minutes left, TSU's Aaliyah Henderson connected on a bucket to lead 46-41 as Aylasia Fantroy added five points to cap off a 9-6 run and a 53-47 lead.
 
The final quarter saw Texas Southern open on a 10-4 surge to increase its lead to 63-51 with 5:11 left. The next few minutes from that point foreshadowed the end of the men's game later that evening as AAMU roared back as Kaila Walker led a charge with six points for a 12-2 run which drew them to within 65-63 with 2:23 left.
 
TSU called a timeout and turned to Loudermill for a huge trey and a 68-63 lead. Henderson came up with a steal and added a free throw for a 69-63 margin. The Lady Tigers would hold on from that point and earn their sixth straight win which marks its best start since its The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women days in the 1970s.
 
Loudermill led TSU with 16 points followed 14 from Henderson, 13 from Fantroy and 10 from Jaida Belton. Both Fantroy and Deja Holmes both had seven rebounds and five assists
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Next up for TSU is Alabama State on Monday in Montgomery, Ala. at 5:30 p.m.