HOUSTON -- When the Lady Tigers of Grambling State University meet #1 seed Alabama State University Friday at 6 p.m., it will be another brick in head coach Nadine Domond's legacy building.
The Lady Tigers are two games away from claiming the Southwestern Athletic Conference women's basketball title. GSU plays the Lady Hornets in the semi-finals with the goal of playing, and winning, the SWAC championship Saturday (March 12).
All season Domond has preached to her team that they are capable and worthy of the stature of past GSU women's basketball teams, resulting in a winning seaso and beating Prairie View A&M University 60-56 in the first round of the 2016 SWAC basketball tournament Thursday (March 10).
Some might say Domond and her team have rebirthed the legacy of years when GSU women's basketball was regularly one of the top SWAC teams, and one of the top women's teams in the nation with a winning season and because Domond was named the SWAC Coach of the Year. Thursday night's victory was the first wing against PVAMU in the SWAC tournament since 2003, and the team last made it to the semi-finales in 2013. Domond understands that fans have enjoyed her team's aggressive, never-say-die, "go hard" play this season, but she wants a championship.
"These girls are committed to going to the next level," said Domond, a former WNBA player in her second year as coach of GSU women's team. "We are going to give you something to be excited about every night when you come see us play."
Fans are in for a treat as the two teams meet.
ASU outlasted GSU just a few days ago (March 5) in Alabama. The Lady Hornets came out on top, 69-60. The Lady Tigers had a poor night of shooting, especially in the second half, shooting only 37% verses ASU's 65%. But Grambling State had explosive performances from Monisha Neal and Shakyla Hill, making Domond proud and expecting more of the same tonight.
In Thursday's game against Prairie View, Neal had 16 points and Hill finished with 14. The two were held to single digits against ASU. Freshman guard Jazmin Boyd was the only player to reach double figures in that game.
The Lady Tigers have developed a tenacious defensive mentality, and will need to maintain that going into Friday's game. Prairie View fell victim to the Lady Tigers defense and turned the ball over 20 times. This type of defense will be key for GSU to contain ASU leading scorer Britney Wright, who averages 14.9 ppg., and second leading scorer Daniele Ewert, who led ASU with 22 points against GSU.
The Lady Tigers have bought into Domond's go hard system and her philosophy that "nothing is promised and you have this one moment, this minute, this time to be great."
The Lady Tigers plan to prove her point at the Toyota Center.
