Feb. 27, 2011

Final Stats

Alcorn State outscored Southern 8-6 in overtime, as the Jaguars missed back-to-back shots from point blank range in the closing seconds as the Braves defeated SU 54-52 in overtime and ruined Senior Day for the five SU players.

The loss snapped Southern's 12 game winning streak, and temporarily derailed the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship it had hoped to clinch on Saturday. SU hadn't lost to a SWAC opponent at home all season.

The Jaguars' loss leaves them with a 1-game lead over second-place Prairie View. Southern (17-9, 14-2 SWAC) has two regular-season games remaining -- first at Texas Southern on Thursday, followed by a grand finale at Prairie View on Saturday.

Hannah Kador led SU with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Jamie Floyd had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Freda Allen finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Alcorn's Carolinsia Crumbly led all scorers with 19 points, while Kiara Ruffin added 18. Sharnika Breedlove scored six points and pulled down 12 rebounds.

After a back and forth first half that saw the two teams go into the half tied at 22, neither team was able to put significant distance between each other until late.

Alcorn took a 35-29 lead with less than eight minutes remaining, before the Jags made some key defensive stops. Freda Allen tied the game at 43-43 with 1:19 left to play in regulations when she to the free throw line and knocked down two big shots.

Alcorn would have a 3-point pint lead in the final seconds of regulation, when Freda Allen hit her only three pointer of the season to tie the game and send it into an extra period.

Southern had its chances in t he finals seconds of overtime, and blew several easy baskets before the buzzer sounded. The game was tied 11 times and the lead changed 11 times. Southern U. also struggled at the free-throw line, going 18-for-28.