STUNG! Southern women’s basketball team suffers a loss in SWAC finale

Houston, TX – Southern head coach Sandy Pugh brought a battalion of ladies that graced the Southwestern Athletic Conference and with their presence usually cost the other teams an upset. Even the ups and the heavily media covered “downs”, Southern found a way to smooth out the wrinkles with a ball swooshing into the basket all for the coveted trophy to be back on top. Pugh whether the team battled through trying times still is proud of her team for reaching this pinnacle this season.
Unfortunately their tourney was ended to Alabama State 73-55 in the finals of the SWAC Championship in Houston, Texas on March 14, 2015.
Southern, despite the dispute that transpired a week before the championship bout took the number one spot from Texas Southern due to the team dropping from the race but at a cost. That cost was when Alabama State finally got their vengeance after their last two losses within the regular season.
Southern, until their bout with Alabama State was at a core deficit with players but those suspended players were reinstated besides excommunicated player, Keonia Parrish. Their roster was restored but shaken.
In lue of a loss, Southern buckled down and found their niche within tournament play by beating Mississippi Valley in their first game 62-57 and Prairie View A&M two days later by more than twenty points of 64-40. The Lady Jags transition from quarter-semi- to finale spoke many volumes even though Alabama State won the automatic bid before the tournament due to Southern University not being able to go to postseason play due to ineligible data last February.
Pugh said at what cost Alabama State would have to defeat Southern.
“I said, ‘The way they would have to beat us today is to have at least 4 players in double figures, hit the 3-ball, don’t turn the ball over, get to the free-throw line and outrebound us,” said Pugh.
Alabama State went 7 of 15 at the 3-point line, 12-29 free throws, cost Southern 14 turnovers, and outrebounded Southern 43-30. Alabama State beat Southern at the offensive glass by scoring 28-16 in the paint and had a 15-8 edge on second chance points.
On that night as well, five Lady Hornets players scored in double figures. Jasmine Peeples scored 18 points, tournament MVP Britney Wright clocked 17 points, Danielle Ewert had 12 points, and Britney Smith and Kayla Tucker each scored 10.
“And they did all of those things,” said Pugh.
Being at the championship spot and gaining that number one spot sent Southern into some in game jitters.
“I think we had some jitters in the very beginning,” said junior guard Britney Washington, “Defensively is when we hurt ourselves.”
Senior guard, Kendra Coleman led the team with 18 points in the final game of her four year career as a starter and Washington scored 10 points, while freshman guard, Briana Green had a game high of 10 rebounds.
Coleman admitted to being a “little emotionally drained” after a week in which five of the players were suspended after the devastating brawl. She and sophomore guard Courtnei Purnell suspension were reinstated before tournament play.
“It was an up and down season for us,” said Coleman, “We had a great season and I had nothing to complain about, we just didn’t play up to our expectations and they outplayed us.”
Southern (19-11, 17-2) kept its record close to clean and enacted such play that they will continue to grace in its next season.