PINE BLUFF, Ark. | The Grambling State University women's basketball team took advantage of 33 Arkansas-Pine Bluff turnovers and cashed in on those with 28 points as the Lady Tigers halted a two-game losing streak with a 66-57 victory over the Lady Golden Lions in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game at the K.L. Johnson Complex on Saturday night.
 
Grambling State (8-11 overall, 5-3 SWAC) trailed 13-11 after one quarter and 32-29 at the break. The Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Golden Lions (3-15, 1-7), 24-17 in the third and took a 53-49 advantage into the final period.
 
Monisha Neal came into the game needing just eight points to register 1,000 for her collegiate career and she finished with 11 points, five boards, three steals and two assists. Shakyla Hill added 11 points, nine boards, eight steals and six assists, while Alexus Williams poured in a career-high 10 points, four rebounds and one steal.
 
Aiya Hassan led Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a game-high 15 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks. Shawntayla Harris tallied a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with a game-high four blocked shots.
 

Congrats to @_monishaaa_ for reaching 1,000 career collegiate points tonight against @UAPBLionsRoar pic.twitter.com/RODQWNEv5P

— GSU Athletics (@GSU_TIGERS) January 28, 2018

Turning Point
Grambling State entered the second half trailing by three points (32-29) and fell behind 36-29 after a Harris jumper with 8:10 left in the third. The Lady Golden Lions extended the margin to 39-32 after a bucket by Trasity Totten with 6:58 remaining.
 
From that point on, the Lady Tigers dominated the quarter as Grambling State closed out the period with a 21-10 run to take a 53-49 advantage into the final quarter.
 
Arkansas-Pine Bluff cut the margin to 53-52 after a Hassan 3-pointer just 29 seconds into the fourth, but Grambling State answered with a 7-0 run, capped by a Hill layup with 6:30 remaining.
 
The Lady Golden Lions closed the gap to 62-57 after a Noe'll Taylor bucket with 2:14 left, but that would be as close as Arkansas-Pine Bluff would get.

Inside The Numbers
· Grambling State shot 29.4 percent (20-of-68) from the field and 75 percent (21-of-28) from the free-throw line.
· Arkansas-Pine Bluff was 24-of-50 (48 percent) shooting and 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from the charity stripe.
· The Lady Tigers finished with 30 rebounds, including 14 on the offensive glass.
· The Lady Golden Lions registered 50 rebounds, with 37 coming off the defensive glass.
· Grambling State scored 28 bench points, 28 points off turnovers, 20 points in the paint and seven second-chance points.
· Arkansas-Pine Bluff recorded 28 points in the paint, 24 bench points and eight points off turnovers.
· There were six ties and three lead changes.
 
News & Notes
· Alexus Williams' previous career high was nine points against Memphis (12/21/17) and Alabama State (1/3/18).
· Grambling State has won four straight in the series since its last loss to UAPB coming on Jan. 30, 2016.
· Grambling State returns to the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center for two straight SWAC games as the Lady Tigers begin the second half of the SWAC schedule on Saturday, Feb. 5 against Southern (High School Day).
 
Up Next
Grambling State concludes its three-game SWAC road swing on Monday in Itta Bena, Miss. against Mississippi Valley State. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. from the Harrison Complex.
 
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