Alcorn State Lady Braves get non to dethrone Grambling in SWAC women's hoops

JACKSON, Miss. -- The conclusion of the 1999- 2000 basketball season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference just may have been a preview to the upcoming season.

As last season concluded, the Alcorn State University Lady Braves squared off against old nemesis and the favored Grambling State University Lady Tigers in the championship game of the SWAC tournament. To the surprise of most, ASU romped past Grambling to the tune of an 83-58 victory.

So convincing was Alcorn State's victory over the Lady Tigers that the coaches now think ASU has regained the magic that was reminiscent when head coach Shirley A. Walker guided the team to a record six league championships in a row between 1990-91 and 1995-96. The coaches of the SWAC have lauded ASU as the team to beat in 2000-01, giving the Lady Braves a number one ranking with 88 points and seven out of 10 first place votes. That compares to Grambling's 78 points, three first place nods and second place prediction.

"Alcorn State is returning five starters and has a veteran core unit," stated GSU head coach David "Rusty" Ponton. "This, along with the outstanding coaching job of Coach Walker and Coach (Nate) Kilbert, make the Lady Braves extremely tough to beat."

Commenting on her team's prospects, Walker stated, "This will truly be a very challenging season for us, to say the least. We'll have some questions about our height and we lost one of our starters over the summer. Plus, everyone is going to be gunning for us because of what we did last year."

While Alcorn State is the preseason favorite, winning championships is an old habit of Grambling State that may be hard to kick. Several coaches think GSU's four-year run on the title may not yet be over.

"They (GSU Lady Tigers) have history on their side," said new Southern University head coach LaSandra Pugh. "They obviously have a formula for success."

Ponton says his young team isn't the favorite to win the title, but still could influence who does.

"I think the Lady Tigers will play a major role in deciding who wears the SWAC crown. Our team is young and inexperienced but hungry to prove that they're capable of playing."

If neither Alcorn State nor Grambling State manages to capture the 2000-01 SWAC championship, a host of other teams figure to be strong contenders, including the likes of Alabama State, Texas Southern and Southern. Alabama State is the preseason number three pick with 62 points. Texas Southern is picked fourth with 54 points. And Southern is ranked number five with 46 points.

Rounding out the 2000-01 preseason rankings by the coaches are Prairie View A&M, sixth with 34 points, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State, which tied for seventh with 33 points each, Alabama A&M, ninth with 21 points, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 10th with 12 points.

"I feel that this year parity in the conference will be at an all-time high," said Ponton. "The rankings were pretty tough. Any one of the teams in our conference can beat any other team on any given night. This should be a great year for SWAC women's basketball."

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONF.2000-01 WOMEN'S COACHES' POLL

  1. Alcorn State (88)          6. Prairie View A&M (34)  2. Grambling State (78)      T7. Jackson State (33)  3. Alabama State (62)            Miss. Valley State (33)  4. Texas Southern (54)        9. Alabama A&M (21)  5. Southern Univ. (46)       10. Ark.-Pine Bluff (12)

Front Page

Newsroom Index