From Grambling Sports Information:
GRAMBLING, La. | Shakyla Hill came into Thursday night’s game against Alabama State needing 14 points to become the fourth player in Grambling State University women’s basketball history with 2,000 career points and she got exactly 14 points in the Lady Tigers’ 63-45 victory over the Lady Hornets in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Thursday night at Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
Hill, the fourth all-time leading scorer in school history is now just 32 points shy of moving into the third spot, which is currently being held by Tarcha Hollis (2,031). Not only did she set a milestone in scoring, but also in rebounds. The senior guard from Little Rock, Ark. registered nine rebounds and moved into second place all-time, surpassing Mary Currie’s mark of 905.
With Thursday night’s victory, the Lady Tigers remained in a three-way tie for third place with Jackson State and Texas Southern. Jackson State holds the tiebreaker over Grambling State, while the Lady Tigers hold the tiebreaker over Texas Southern.
Grambling State (14-15 overall, 11-6 SWAC) led 15-14 at the end of one period and 30-24 at the break. The Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Hornets, 19-6, in the third and took a commanding 49-30 advantage into the final period.
Jazmin Boyd led Grambling State with 15 points, four steals and four rebounds, while Hill added 14 points, nine boards, five assists and two steals. Ariel Williams came off the bench and provided 13 points, four steals and four rebounds.
Tatyana Calhoun led Alabama State (11-17, 10-7) with 10 points and five rebounds.
Turning Point
Grambling State led 30-24 at the break and after a bucket by Tatayana Calhoun, the Lady Hornets had trimmed the deficit to 30-26 with 7:57 left in the period.
However, the Lady Tigers responded with a 19-4 run over the final seven-plus minutes and took a 49-30 lead into the final quarter.
Alabama State trimmed the deficit to 60-45 after a Kaeani Berry free throw with 2:16 left, but could not get any closer.
Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State was 23-of-71 (32.4percent) shooting and 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) from the charity stripe
> Alabama State shot 29.3 percent (17-of-58) from the field and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the free-throw line
> GSU registered 46 rebounds, including 32 on the defensive glass
> ASU pulled down 49 rebounds, with 36 coming on the defensive end
> The Lady Tigers finished with 23 bench points, 19 points off 14 Lady Hornet turnovers, 18 points in the paint, 10 second-chance points and 10 fastbreak points
> The Lady Hornets tallied 28 points in the paint, 16 bench points, 11 second-chance points, seven points off 25 Lady Tiger turnovers and two fastbreak points
News & Notes
> The Lady Tigers have won 10 or more conference games for the past four seasons
> Shakyla Hill has posted double figures in scoring in 28-of-29 games this season
> Shakyla Hill has scored 15 or more points 72 times during her collegiate career
> Jazmin Boyd has scored in double figures 75 times in her collegiate career
> Shakyla Hill became the fourth Grambling State women’s basketball player to reach the 2,000-point plateau
> Shakyla Hill is currently six assists shy of the school record held by Shiakiea Carter (601)
> Shakyla Hill is now second all-time in GSU rebounds with 913
> Shakyla Hill has 480 career steals, which is a Grambling State and SWAC record
> Jazmin Boyd needs nine points to surpass Shiakiea Carter for ninth place in GSU scoring
Up Next
Grambling State concludes the regular season on Saturday against Alabama A&M. Tip-off against the Bulldogs during Senior Day is set for 3 p.m.
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