SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Texas Southern Lady Tigers will look to defend their home court and improve their standing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference when they host the Alabama State Lady Hornets on Thursday night.

The matchup at the Health & P.E. Arena pits two teams seeking momentum as the conference schedule nears its midpoint. Texas Southern (8-10 overall) enters with a slightly more favorable record than Alabama State (5-11), but both squads are coming off losses in their most recent outings.

The Lady Tigers fell 66-51 at Alcorn State last Saturday, despite a 16-point effort from guard Maci Quiller. Quiller, a key player to watch for the home team, has been a consistent contributor, averaging 7.1 points over her last seven games and scoring in double figures in two of her last four SWAC contests.

Alabama State arrives in Houston after a tough 50-41 home loss to Alabama A&M on Monday, its third consecutive defeat. The Lady Hornets’ offense has struggled during the skid, failing to reach 55 points in any of the three games. Guard Caylee Simpson will be central to reversing that trend. She led the team with 13 points in the loss to Alabama A&M and has shown scoring bursts, including a 13-point performance in just 14 minutes in a win over Mississippi Valley State earlier this month.

Texas Southern has found more success at home in conference play, securing double-digit wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State at the Health & P.E. Arena in early January. Alabama State, meanwhile, is still searching for its first SWAC victory of 2026, having opened conference play with three straight losses after winning two road games to close non-conference action.

Historically, the Lady Tigers have dominated the series, winning the last 11 meetings dating back to 2018. Alabama State’s last victory over Texas Southern was a 57-56 win on Feb. 27, 2017.

Following this contest, Texas Southern will remain at home to face Alabama A&M on Saturday. Alabama State continues its road trip at Prairie View A&M on Saturday.