BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 2 Seed Alabama A&M (15-14, 13-5 SWAC) could not overcome a third quarter deficit and dropped a 62-54 decision to No. 7 Seed Grambling (14-16, 10-8 SWAC) in a Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinal and an NCAA Division I women's basketball game on Wednesday, March 9.
Senior forward Dariauna Lewis (Omaha, Neb.) delivered one of her best games of the season, lighting it up for 32 points and hauling in 10 boards to go with two blocks, a pair of steals and an assist to lead the way for the Bulldogs.
Sophomore guard Darian Burgin (Cincinnati, Ohio) grabbed eight rebounds along with four points and two assists and senior center Jada Clowers (Macon, Ga.) finished with four points, six caroms, a pair of assists and four blocks. Junior guard Jill Harris (Navarre, Fla.) rounded out the top performers with seven points.
A&M would take an early 6-2 advantage before back-to-back buckets by Justice Coleman knotted it up and began a stretch of four lead changes and two ties that would leave the Bulldogs with a 20-16 advantage after one.
Coming out of that opening frame, Coleman and Ariel Williams would knock down consecutive threes to fuel an 8-0 run that propelled the Tigers to a 24-20 lead by the 8:47 mark. That margin would grow to 28-22 with just under six minutes left in the half before Lewis scored six points in A&M's own 8-0 outburst, this one flipping the script and putting them back ahead 30-28 by the 3:40 mark.
From there it would go from a game of runs to a nip-and-tuck affair as the teams traded a pair of free throws and Williams delivered a game-tying layup with 57 seconds on the clock. Following a free throw by Clowers to give A&M back the lead, Williams and Leah Morrow then each connected on two from the charity stripe to take a narrow 36-33 lead into the half.
Harris knocked down a triple to tie it 20 seconds into the third before a layup by Morrow and a pair of free throws by Alexus Holt then gave GSU back the lead, 42-37, with 5:58 on the clock. Following that 4-1 mini run both teams would go cold for more than a minute and a half before Lewis drained a jumper to cut it to three.
Another prolonged scoreless stretch then ended with a bucket by Coleman at 2:49 and a long range bomb from Morrow just over a minute later as the Tigers staked themselves to a 47-39 advantage. Alabama A&M would then rebound down the stretch with a layup by graduate forward Kierra Johnson-Graham (Atlanta, Ga.) and a pair of free throws from Lewis to head to the fourth down just 47-44.
After trading jumpers to start the final period, Coleman would hit on one of two at the line and Lewis would knock down another jumper to close the gap to 50-48 with 8:42 to play. From there, however, an 11-2 run in the next 3:08 would blow that margin open to 59-50.
A&M would close to within five, 59-54, but would get no closer down the stretch as Grambling closed the 62-54 upset victory three-and-half minutes later.
Coleman led the charge for GSU with 19 points and seven boards while Morrow finished with 13 points, eight caroms and a pair of steals. Holt added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals and Williams closed things out with 13 points, two steals, three assists and three caroms.
The Bulldogs close a record setting 2021-22 season with 15 wins, a program best 13 in the SWAC, three straight seasons with at least two All-SWAC selections and an NCAA Division I Era record seven game win streak.