LORMAN, Miss. — Kiarra Henderson scored 17 points and Nakia Cheatham added 16, but missed free throws and layups hurt Alcorn State in a 73-65 loss to South Alabama on Saturday in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament at Davey L. Whitney Complex.
The Braves ended their season with a 17-14 record. South Alabama (17-18) advances to face Purdue Fort Wayne in the second round Monday.
Alcorn’s Maya Hunkin-Claytor was recognized before the game for setting the school record for three-pointers in a season. She made two of three attempts in the game and finished with six points.
Cheatham registered her 10th double-double of the season, adding four blocks. Henderson reached double figures for the 18th time, shooting 6-for-10 from the field. Daliyja Hurt-Floyd led the team with five assists, followed by Henderson with three. The team shot 43.8% from beyond the arc.
South Alabama outscored Alcorn 18-4 in second-chance points and led early, jumping out to a 6-0 run. The Jaguars closed the first quarter with a 17-12 lead after a late three-pointer by Daniela Gonzalez.
The Braves briefly led 24-20 in the second quarter but fell behind again as Jeriyah Baines scored eight points in four minutes to help South Alabama regain control. The Jaguars led 34-29 at halftime and managed to extend their advantage in the second half.
Alcorn struggled at the free-throw line, making just 12 of 23 attempts, and missed 16 layups in the paint. Henderson scored 15 second-half points to keep the Braves competitive.
South Alabama’s Cordasia Harris scored 14 in the second half, and Tamara Ortiz made 10 free throws down the stretch. The Jaguars’ bench contributed significantly, especially Baines and Harris.
The Jaguars’ biggest lead was 11 points with 6:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. Alcorn responded with timely threes from Hunkin-Claytor and Arene Iyekekpolor but could not close the gap below six points the rest of the game.
Turnovers were a key factor, with South Alabama converting 26 points off Alcorn miscues. The Jaguars also dominated the paint, outscoring the Braves 38-26, and limited the three-point shooting to 3 of 23. Follow Alcorn State Sports on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for updates.
