Romeo Guzman Lorman, Miss. — The Alcorn State women’s basketball team will play its final two home games of the 2025-26 season this week at the Davey L. Whitney Complex. The Braves will face Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday.
Alcorn, 16-11 overall and 13-3 in SWAC play, is vying for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The team leads Southern by 1.5 games in the tiebreaker standings. Tuesday’s game against Mississippi Valley State will also serve as Senior Appreciation Night, honoring Ja’Sharreah Hunt and Arene Iyekekpolor.
The Braves are aiming to finish with one of their best home records in over a decade and are seeking at least 10 wins at home this season. They also hope to break their 2004-05 record of 14 SWAC wins in a single season. Alcorn’s last game saw them narrowly defeat Prairie View A&M 48-38 despite shooting only 29 percent from the field.
In that game, Alcorn led wire-to-wire, outscoring Prairie View 27-15 in the first half. Key contributors included Kiarra Henderson, who scored early, and Arene Iyekekpolor, who set a career high with 21 points. Nakia Cheatham scored 12 points, including 10 in the second half, and the team forced 19 turnovers to secure the win.
This week, the Braves will host Mississippi Valley State, which enters with a 6-21 record and a 5-11 mark in SWAC play. The Delta Devilettes are led by Ariel Jefferson, who averages 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with a 12-16 overall record and a 9-7 conference mark, has won six of its last eight games. Indiya Bowen leads UAPB in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
Alcorn and Arkansas-Pine Bluff have a series history dating back to 2011, with the Braves holding a slight edge. The teams split earlier this season, with UAPB winning the most recent matchup. The Braves will look to close out their home schedule with victories and continue their pursuit of the No. 2 seed at the SWAC tournament, scheduled for March 9-14 in Atlanta.
