With only five second left, the Lady Tigers had a chance to end the 10 game winning streak of the Texas Southern University Tigers on Monday night. They fell short by only one point when Joanna Miller was unable to capitalize on the game winning opportunity. GSU drops their second game in a row, 58-59. The Lady Tigers record is currently (3-10 SWAC, 5-20 overall), and are currently sitting in ninth place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference division.
GSU had three players in double digits for the game. Dayla Threatt scored a team-high 20 points, 18 of those points coming from behind the arch, with seven rebounds. In a post game interview, Threatt comments she scored the most three pointers in her career was back when she was a junior in high school. She remembers having 11 three pointers in an AAU game in Iowa.
Kamiya Burwell scored 13 points and Joanna Miller added 12. Bianca McCowan led the team with nine rebounds.
With 6:33 remaining in the game, GSU went on an 11 point run that tied the game at 56. In the run, Threatt connected on two crucial three pointers and McCowan added four points including 2-2 from the line.
TXSU’s leading scorer, Brianna Sidney hit the deciding three pointer with 2:21 remaining to put TXSU up by three points, 56-59. After two GSU turnovers and time trickling down, Burwell had a chance to tie the game with her three pointer attempt, but missed it. McCowan snatched the vital rebound that led to a layup by Miller to cut the lead down to one point, 58-59, with only 26 seconds remaining. GSU opens a full court press and TXSU’s Teera Williams turns over the ball to Miller.
Excitement overwhelmed the Lady Tigers as they fumbled the ball out of bounds after a Williams’ turnover. With five seconds remaining, the ball stays in the possession of the Lady Tigers with one attempt left to win the game. Miller catches the ball in the back court and she dribbles towards half court with two TXSU defenders. Unable to break free from defense, Miller throws up a desperate shot as the time expires.
“(Coach Cage-Bibbs) basically told us we had that game if we would have made free throws, made easy shots under the basket and committed less turnovers that we could have won the game,” said Threatt, the sophomore guard from Oklahoma City, Okla.
TXSU led for majority of the game. There biggest led was 15 with 10:15 remaining in the game. Grambling started the game ahead, The Lady Tigers biggest lead was 10 in the first half. Once TXSU gained control of the game, GSU was forced to fight uphill the rest of the game.
Turnovers played a major role in the outcome of the game. GSU committed 24 turnovers that led to 21 points for TXSU, while the Lady Tigers capitalized with 14 points off of 17 turnovers by TXSU. TXSU had active hands throughout the game that led to 11 steals against GSU’s 6.
Brianna Sidney led TXSU with 21 points and went 3-7 from the three point line. Kayla West contributed 14 points and Morgan Simmons added 11 points with 9 rebounds.
The Lady Tigers next match up is against Jackson State University at 3 p.m. in Jackson Miss. The Tigers of JSU are currently in seventh place in the SWAC division; their record is 6-7 in SWAC and 9-13 overall.