GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State University women's basketball team will open Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play on Saturday at Alabama State and will conclude the season-opening conference road swing on Monday with a trip to Huntsville, Ala. to take on Alabama A&M.
 
Tip-off for Saturday's game at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome is set for 3 p.m. and on Monday, 5:30 p.m. from the T.M. Elmore Gymnasium.
 
Grambling State (3-9), which has won two out of its last three games, is coming off an 86-40 loss to conclude non-conference play on Sunday against Oklahoma State. Shakyla Hill paced the Lady Tigers with 16 points in the loss to the Cowgirls.
 
Alabama State (1-10) is coming off an 83-50 loss on Dec. 29 to Auburn. The Lady Hornets got a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds from Shmya Ward and 10 points from Ayana Emmanuel in the road loss. Alabama State is seeking its first win since Dec. 1 when the Lady Hornets defeated Mobile College, 69-63.
 
Alabama A&M (3-6) opens SWAC play on Saturday against Jackson State and will host Grambling State on Monday. The Lady Bulldogs will ride the wave of three straight victories into SWAC play, including wins over Southeastern Louisiana, North Florida and Jacksonville. Alabama A&M defeated Jacksonville, 65-60, behind 16 points from Carnethia Brown, 12 points from Nigeria Jones and 10 points from Ashlyn Dotson on Dec. 21.
 
ABOUT ALABAMA STATE
> Alabama State is averaging 49.4 points per game, while its opponents are averaging 78.7 points.
> The Lady Hornets are shooting 33.9 percent (177-of-522) from the field and 70.7 percent (152-of-215) from the foul line.
> Ayana Emmanuel is leading Alabama State's offense at 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, followed by Jayla Crawford with 10.1 points and 2.7 boards per game.
 
ABOUT ALABAMA A&M
> Alabama A&M is averaging 57.3 points per game, while its opponents are averaging 64.3 points.
> The Lady Bulldogs are shooting 35.9 percent (245-of-683) from the field and 50.9 percent (89-of-175) from the foul line.
> Nigeria Jones is leading Alabama A&M's offense at 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, followed by Lazurea Saunders with 7.3 points and 5.8 boards per game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
> Grambling State is coming off an 86-40 loss to Oklahoma State
> Shakyla Hill scored 10 of her team-high 16 points in the first half against OSU
> The Lady Tigers shot 17.6 percent (12-of-68) from the field and 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from the charity stripe
 
NOTABLES
> Shakyla Hill ranks third nationally in steals per game and fifth nationally in steals
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
> Grambling State won two games at the Puerto Rico Classic, defeating Indiana and Loyola-Marymount
> The Lady Tigers snapped Indiana's 16-game win streak, which was the longest active winning streak
> Grambling State enters conference play having won two out of its last three games
> Shakyla Hill was just two assists and two steals away from her second career quadruple double in a loss to South Dakota at the Puerto Rico Classic
> Jazmin Boyd surpassed the 1,000-point plateau on Nov. 11 against Southern Miss
 
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
> Shakyla Hill was named the SWAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week Dec. 18 and Dec. 25
> Shakyla Hill earned the College Sports Madness SWAC Player of the Week on Dec. 23
 
PRESEASON POLL
> Grambling State was predicted to win the SWAC regular season champion
 
GRAMBLING STATE BASKETBALL HISTORY
> Grambling State won the SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship in 2018, ending a nearly 20-year drought
> Under Freddie Murray, the Lady Tigers have defeated notable Power 5 opponents Ole Miss and Indiana
> Grambling State became the first SWAC school to win a postseason game, defeating Ole Miss in the 2017 WNIT opening round
> In the past two seasons, Grambling State has played in the WNIT and the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
 
UP NEXT
Grambling State has its SWAC home opener on Saturday, Jan. 12 against rival Southern. Tip-off against the Jaguars is set for 3 p.m. The Tigers conclude the short two-game home stand on Monday, Jan. 14 against Alcorn State.
 
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