HUNTSVILLE (Interstat) — Talladega used a late fourth-quarter 3-pointer from Ty’Veonna Davis and a closing free throw from Tashiana Farmer to hold off Alabama A&M 59-53 in a women’s NCAA Division I non-divisional basketball game Monday at T. M. Elmore Gymnasium. The visiting team built a seven-point lead in the final quarter, then withstood a Bulldogs rally that cut the deficit to two. Alabama A&M, known as the Bulldogs, dropped to 0-1 this season. The attendance was 1,627.

Davis opened the scoring with a 3-pointer with 6:19 left in the first quarter, and Courtney Lowe added another 3-pointer at the 4:49 mark to help Talladega to a 6-2 lead. Skylar White kept Alabama A&M close with a jumper and a 3-pointer, and Asianae Nicholson’s jumper at 3:18 gave the Bulldogs their first lead at 7-6. Miracle Akpotayobo made two free throws to extend the margin to 9-6, but Davis answered with another 3-pointer to tie the score at 9. Shun’teria Anumele made a jumper for an 11-9 Alabama A&M lead, and Lowe tied it at 11 with a jumper with 1:54 left in the quarter.

Alabama A&M moved ahead in the second quarter when Alisha Murray made the second of two free throws at 9:44. Anumele then made two free throws at 9:20 and two more at 8:07 to push the Bulldogs ahead. Tashiana Farmer made two free throws at 7:39, and Aaliyah Golston’s layup at 6:26 trimmed the deficit to 16-15. Kiersten Usher made a free throw at 5:18 to tie it at 16, and after Nicholson made the second of two free throws, Golston scored again at 4:30 for an 18-17 Talladega lead. Kalea Rainey answered with a layup and a free throw, and Nicholson made two free throws for a 21-18 Alabama A&M advantage. Davis hit a 3-pointer with 3 minutes remaining to tie it at 21, and after Nicholson’s jump shot, Davis made two free throws to knot it at 23. Nicholson made a layup, Alicea Mosley answered with a layup and a free throw, and the teams traded baskets before Te’Nequa Rhodes’ layup with 21.6 seconds left gave Talladega a 28-27 halftime lead.

The third quarter continued the back-and-forth. Rhodes opened with a jumper, but Vanessa Wimberly made a 3-pointer to tie it at 30. Anumele made two layups around a Maddison Mitchell jumper, and Rainey’s jump shot off a turnover gave Alabama A&M a 36-34 lead. Courtney Lowe tied it with a layup, and after free throws by Anumele, Usher and Wimberly, White made two free throws for a 40-37 Bulldogs lead. Golston’s layup and Anumele’s 3-pointer stretched the margin to 43-39, but Mitchell made a free throw and Jakhiya Smith and Golston scored inside to give Talladega a 44-43 lead entering the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, Ja’Kalynn McGinnis hit a turnaround jumper and followed with a layup to help Talladega take a 48-44 lead. Rhodes converted a three-point play with 7:45 remaining for a 51-44 cushion. Alabama A&M responded with six straight points, getting layups from Wimberly, White and Wimberly again to pull within 51-50 with 6:32 left. Rhodes made another layup, and Golston added a layup for a 55-50 Talladega lead. Nicholson made a free throw and Akpotayobo scored inside to bring the Bulldogs within 55-53, but Davis hit a 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining for a 58-53 lead. Farmer made a free throw with 38.3 seconds left to complete the scoring. Alabama A&M did not score again after Akpotayobo’s layup with 3:47 remaining.

Alabama A&M scored 53 points from 83 possessions, an offensive rating of 64.1. The Bulldogs had seven offensive rebounds, 14 assists, two blocks and 21 turnovers. Talladega held on despite the Bulldogs’ late push, sealing the result at the free-throw line after Davis’s final 3-pointer.

Asianae Nicholson had 10 points and seven rebounds while adding one assist and one block in 29 minutes for Alabama A&M. The 5-foot-10 forward from South Euclid, Ohio, previously played at Brush High School. Shun’teria Anumele finished with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and one block in 27 minutes. The 5-foot-8 guard previously played at Fort Bend Austin High School. Miracle Akpotayobo contributed six points, five rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes; the 5-foot-10 forward previously played at Warren T. White High School. Skylar White scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds in 26 minutes. The 5-foot-7 guard previously played at E.E. Smith. Alisha Murray had one point, five rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes. The 5-foot-11 guard previously played at Emma Lee Broady Academy. Vanessa Wimberly scored eight points and collected one rebound in 22 minutes. The 5-foot-6 guard previously played at Lake Central High School. Kalea Rainey added five points and one assist in 16 minutes. The 5-foot-7 guard previously played at Dr. Phillips High School. Taziya Harris played seven minutes, Janessa Kelley played 11 minutes and Khloe Bradley did not play for Alabama A&M.

Alabama A&M’s upcoming schedule includes games at Alabama, against Miles, against UAB, at Mississippi, against North Carolina Central, against Tuskegee, at Tennessee, at Marquette, against Allen and against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.