GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State University women's basketball team secured a spot in the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball Tournament with a 62-60 victory over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. 

Grambling State (10-19 overall, 9-9 SWAC) got off to a great start in the first quarter.  

The Lady Tigers opened on a 10-0 run and led 12-2 with 4:43 remaining in the first. Alabama State (15-14, 12-6) struggled from the floor as GSU took a 16-7 advantage into the second. 

 Grambling State kept their momentum in the second quarter as the Lady Tigers used a 9-0 run to stretch the lead to 27-11 with 7:26 remaining. 

The Hornets tried to close the gap, but GSU took a commanding 39-21 advantage into the break. 

Alabama State cut the margin to 39-30 to 7:35 left in the third, but GSU pushed the lead to 54-40 heading into the final quarter. 

The Hornets closed the gap to 58-57 with 2:52 remaining, but the Lady Tigers held off the late charge to earn a 62-60 victory. 

Phylicia Allen paced GSU with 17 points and one rebound. Leah Morrow registered 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one block.  
 
Ayana Emmanuel led Alabama State with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• GSU shot 48.9 percent from the floor (22-of-45) and 25 percent (2-of-8) from behind the arc. GSU went 16-of-20 (80 percent) from the charity stripe.  
• ASU was 20-of-40 (50 percent) from the floor, shooting 55.6 percent (5–of-9) from three-point range. Alabama State went 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) from the free-throw line. 
• Grambling State scored 21 points off turnovers, the Hornets scored 12. 
• GSU and ASU registered 16 points in the paint. 

 
UP NEXT 

The Lady Tigers, who earned the eighth seed in the SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament, returns to action on Wednesday against top seed Jackson State in the quarterfinals. Tip-off is set from 5:30 p.m. from Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. 

 
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