The Lady Tiger basketball season came to an end as they a lost to Texas Southern University 76-82 in the second round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament in Houston, TX on Wednesday.
Joanna Miller led the game with 23 points. She averaged 18.7 points in her senior season.
Miller has had a successful career at Grambling as she reached 1,000 points in only 2 years. Miller has also earned many accolades since she’s been at Grambling including SWAC Player of the Week numerous times, Louisiana Newcomer of the Year in April of 2013, and Preseason Player of the Year in October of 2013.
“Hopefully Grambling can help me get overseas,” said Miller when explaining her plans after graduation. “Hopefully my team has my back and my coaches so I can succeed that goal.”
Unfortunately, the team did not accomplish their team goal of the SWAC Championship this season. TSU advanced to the third round in the tournament but the Lady Tigers still have plenty to be proud of.
Tyler Anderson finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. This season she averaged 9 points and 7.4 rebounds. She has season highs of 20 points against University of New Orleans and Texas Christian University earlier this season.
Dennisha Chambers had 17 points against Texas Southern on Wednesday. She is only a freshmen with a career high of 19 points.
Jasmine Godbolt, a graduate student from Garland, TX, ended this season averaging 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds.
And Victoya Ricks ended her senior season with averages of 10.6 points and 6 rebounds a game.
Coming into the SWAC tournament, the Lady Tigers had a fair chance considering they were keeping the top teams on their toes throughout season.
“I feel good about our chances,” said Assistant Coach Lou Hamilton. “I don’t think teams want to meet us.”
The Lady Tigers were triumphant in the first round as they defeated the University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Tuesday.
Although, it was a close game, Grambling pulled through winning in overtime 83-81.
Miller finished with 27 points, Chambers followed with 19 points. Anderson had a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds. Then Godbolt with 9 points.
In the first half, the Lady Tigers led by 21, their largest lead of the game, at about the 2:20 mark before halftime.
UAPB fired back in the second half tying the score at 46 an eventually gaining the lead at about 12 minutes left in the game.
They ended regulation with 75 apiece.
With an extra 5 minutes, Grambling took advantage of free throw and field goal opportunities which put them up by 2 at the end of overtime.
This was in fact was the Lady Tigers last win of the 2013-2014 season. And also the last win for seniors on the team.
Coach Hamilton even said though he’s not an emotional guy, he will get a little emotional when letting the seniors go.
“It’s going to be a little emotional for me,” said Hamilton, “because sometimes you don’t miss something until it’s gone.”