ITTA BENA, Miss. – Rickeisha Sheard's steal and fast-break layup with 10 seconds remaining in overtime Monday proved to be the difference as Mississippi Valley State defeated the Lady Tigers of Texas Southern 75-74.
Joyce Kennerson scored a game-high 27 points and took four steals for the Lady Tigers, but it wasn't enough to prevent Texas Southern from falling to Mississippi Valley for the first time since the semifinal round of the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.
Chynna Ewing scored a career-high 17 points and was 6-of-9 from the floor for the visiting Lady Tigers (11-7, 5-2 SWAC). Kaitlyn Palmer added 13 points for TSU, while Shamiya Brooks scored 12 points off the TSU bench.
Ashley Beals scored 26 points and pulled in 12 rebounds for Mississippi Valley State (7-11, 4-3 SWAC). Kristy Parker added 13 points and Sheard chipped in 10 points for the Devilettes.
The back-and-forth game saw five ties and eight lead changes during its four and a half periods. Texas Southern held a 66-61 lead with 1:21 remaining in regulation before the Devilettes responded by scoring the final five points of the fourth period; Beals forced overtime by making a pair of free throws with 10 seconds of regulation.
Mississippi Valley led by as many as five points midway through the overtime period, but TSU trimmed the lead to 71-70 with four consecutive free throws by Kennerson at the 2:23 and 2:08 marks of the frame.
After a MVSU basket, Palmer again cut the lead to a single point with a layup with 1:33 left in overtime. On the next defensive sequence, Kennerson stole the ball from Beals and took it the other direction for a go-ahead layup. Her shot was off the mark, but Brooks was there for the putback to give TSU a 74-73 lead with 57 seconds left to play.
MVSU missed two shots on their next possession and Kennerson came away with the rebound, one of seven she had in the game. TSU was in control until Sheard came away with the steal and game-winning points.
The loss was the second in a row for TSU after the Lady Tigers saw their six-game winning streak snapped Saturday at Arkansas–Pine Bluff. TSU is now tied for second place in the conference with Southern, one game behind Alabama State.
The Lady Tigers host SWAC-leading Alabama State on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at TSU's Health and Physical Education Arena.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
Joyce Kennerson scored a game-high 27 points and took four steals for the Lady Tigers, but it wasn't enough to prevent Texas Southern from falling to Mississippi Valley for the first time since the semifinal round of the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.
Chynna Ewing scored a career-high 17 points and was 6-of-9 from the floor for the visiting Lady Tigers (11-7, 5-2 SWAC). Kaitlyn Palmer added 13 points for TSU, while Shamiya Brooks scored 12 points off the TSU bench.
Ashley Beals scored 26 points and pulled in 12 rebounds for Mississippi Valley State (7-11, 4-3 SWAC). Kristy Parker added 13 points and Sheard chipped in 10 points for the Devilettes.
The back-and-forth game saw five ties and eight lead changes during its four and a half periods. Texas Southern held a 66-61 lead with 1:21 remaining in regulation before the Devilettes responded by scoring the final five points of the fourth period; Beals forced overtime by making a pair of free throws with 10 seconds of regulation.
Mississippi Valley led by as many as five points midway through the overtime period, but TSU trimmed the lead to 71-70 with four consecutive free throws by Kennerson at the 2:23 and 2:08 marks of the frame.
After a MVSU basket, Palmer again cut the lead to a single point with a layup with 1:33 left in overtime. On the next defensive sequence, Kennerson stole the ball from Beals and took it the other direction for a go-ahead layup. Her shot was off the mark, but Brooks was there for the putback to give TSU a 74-73 lead with 57 seconds left to play.
MVSU missed two shots on their next possession and Kennerson came away with the rebound, one of seven she had in the game. TSU was in control until Sheard came away with the steal and game-winning points.
The loss was the second in a row for TSU after the Lady Tigers saw their six-game winning streak snapped Saturday at Arkansas–Pine Bluff. TSU is now tied for second place in the conference with Southern, one game behind Alabama State.
The Lady Tigers host SWAC-leading Alabama State on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at TSU's Health and Physical Education Arena.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics