MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Interstat) — In a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball game defined more by grit than grace, the Jackson State Lady Tigers secured a hard-fought 62-54 victory over the Alabama State Lady Hornets on Saturday at Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 500, saw Jackson State improve to 3-12 overall, while Alabama State fell to 5-10. Despite the final margin, the contest was a sloppy, defensive struggle for long stretches, with both teams committing 21 turnovers and neither shooting above 40 percent from the field.

Jackson State’s path to victory was carved out in a dominant second quarter. After trailing 11-10 following a low-scoring first period, the Lady Tigers erupted for 27 points in the frame, outscoring the Lady Hornets by 12 to take a commanding 37-26 lead into halftime. The surge was fueled by the backcourt duo of Rhema Pegues and Leianya Massenat, who combined for a series of critical baskets that broke the game open.

Pegues, a 5-foot-8 guard from Olive Branch, Mississippi, led all scorers with 20 points, including three shots from beyond the arc, and added three assists in 30 minutes. Massenat, a 5-9 guard from Trenton, New Jersey, provided crucial support with 18 points and three assists in 28 minutes. Their offensive burst in the second quarter provided a cushion that Alabama State could never fully erase.

The Lady Hornets, led by Shamya Reid and Ny’Keria Flowers with 13 points apiece, chipped away in the second half. A 16-point third quarter for Alabama State cut the deficit to 52-42 entering the final period. Clearia Peterson of Alabama State, who finished with 11 points, was active inside, but the team’s overall offensive inefficiency proved insurmountable.

Alabama State’s shooting woes were a decisive factor. The Lady Hornets connected on only 2 of 14 attempts from three-point range and struggled mightily at the free-throw line, converting just 16 of 31 attempts. Jackson State was not much more efficient from the charity stripe, making 11 of 18, but found more success from distance, hitting 7 of 18.

Defensively, Alabama State forced the issue, recording 13 steals to Jackson State’s seven, but could not consistently turn those opportunities into points on the other end. Jackson State held a slight edge in points in the paint, 30-26, and managed 16 points off Alabama State’s turnovers.

The most important sequence of the game solidified Jackson State’s control just before halftime. After Alabama State’s Ny’Keria Flowers hit two free throws to pull the Lady Hornets within 22-21 with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter, Jackson State closed the half on a 15-5 run. The burst included a three-pointer from Pegues, a driving layup from Massenat, and a critical three-pointer by Massenat at the 33-second mark, assisted by Pegues. This flurry transformed a one-point game into an 11-point halftime advantage, a psychological and statistical blow from which Alabama State never fully recovered.

Alabama State made several pushes in the second half, closing to within eight points on multiple occasions in the fourth quarter, but each time Jackson State had an answer, often from Pegues or Massenat. A late three-pointer by Pegues with 1:43 remaining pushed the lead back to 55-52 and effectively sealed the outcome.

For Jackson State, Mikayla Brown added eight points and Jada Patton contributed six. For Alabama State, Caylee Simpson finished with eight points.

The win provided a measure of relief for Jackson State, which had lost its previous two conference games. Alabama State, meanwhile, dropped its second straight SWAC contest.

According to pregame analytics from Interstat’s ELO system, Jackson State was projected with a 76.5 percent probability to win.

Jackson State will look to build on the conference win when it hosts Texas Southern on Thursday. Alabama State travels to face Texas Southern on Jan. 22.