By Leon Mitchell, Grambling State Athletic Communications
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Grambling State secured a crucial 70-61 victory over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) battle at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
With the win, Grambling State improves to 9-13 overall and 6-5 in SWAC play, while Alabama State falls to 5-18 overall and 3-8 in the conference standings.
Kahia Warmsley led the charge for Grambling State, scoring a team-high 16 points while adding four steals, two rebounds, and an assist.
Lydia Freeman was dominant in limited minutes, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points.
Alyssa Phillip provided a strong presence off the bench with 12 points and five rebounds, while Shaniah Nunncontributed 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Grambling State jumped out to an early 20-18 lead after the first quarter and maintained a 36-34 advantage heading into halftime.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point, as the Tigers outscored Alabama State 19-16 behind efficient shooting, including their only three-pointer of the game.
The Tigers defense took over in the final period, holding Alabama State to just 25 percent shooting from the field. Grambling State capitalized at the free-throw line, knocking down 9-of-10 attempts in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Alabama State was led by Kaitlyn Bryant, who scored a game-high 19 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Taylor Smith added 12 points and four rebounds, while Ashley Gray chipped in 10 points off the bench.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Grambling State shot 45.3 percent from the field (24-of-53) but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 1-of-9 attempts (11.1 percent).
- Alabama State shot 46.0 percent from the field (23-of-50) and 45.5 percent from three-point range (5-of-11).
- Grambling State dominated at the free-throw line, converting 21-of-22 attempts (95.5 percent), while Alabama State made 10-of-12 (83.3 percent).
- The Tigers forced 26 turnovers and capitalized with 26 points off those miscues.
- Alabama State held a slight edge in rebounding, 30-28.
UP NEXT
Grambling State returns home to face Prairie View A&M on Thursday, February 13. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. at Willis Reed Court inside the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.