HOUSTON — Texas Southern built a double‑digit lead behind a dominant first half from Taliyah Logwood and a strong bench performance, but Alabama State closed the game on a late run as TSU fell 82–74 Thursday evening inside the H\&PE Arena.
Texas Southern led by as many as 15 points at the 6:29 mark of the third quarter, fueled by a momentum‑swinging stretch that included a Logwood fast‑break layup and a deep three‑pointer from Da'Myiah Lewis, giving the Tigers a 57–42 advantage—their largest of the night.
Logwood paced TSU with 29 points, shooting 10‑for‑21 from the field and 2‑of‑5 from beyond the arc, while adding a team‑high 10 rebounds. Aaliyah Henderson added eight points, six rebounds, and three steals, providing steady defensive pressure and transition energy.
TSU opened strong, taking a 25–22 lead after the first quarter thanks to a buzzer‑beating three from Daeja Holmes with two seconds left. The Tigers maintained control in the second quarter, using a 9–0 run sparked by a Logwood steal and score to extend the margin to 45–34. A Maci Quiller corner three at 1:46 pushed the lead to 11 as TSU entered halftime up 46–38.
Early in the third, Logwood buried another three to make it 49–40 before the Tigers capitalized on back‑to‑back defensive stops. Steals by Henderson and Quiller turned into transition buckets, and a second‑chance finish from Ciara Brannon stretched the lead to 54–42. Moments later, Lewis buried a deep right‑wing three at 6:29 to give TSU its 15‑point cushion.
But Alabama State responded with a 15–0 run over the next three minutes, trimming the lead to two. The Hornets closed the quarter ahead 63–62 after converting a series of free throws following a technical.
TSU briefly regained momentum to start the fourth when Logwood hit two free throws to make it 64–63, followed by a Jordyn Marshall three at 8:34 to push the Tigers ahead 67–63. However, Texas Southern went nearly four minutes without a field goal as Alabama State surged ahead behind Clearia Peterson, who scored eight of her 20 points in the final period.
Holmes knocked down a pull‑up three with 3:24 remaining to pull TSU within 73–70, but the Tigers were unable to overcome Alabama State's late free‑throw shooting down the stretch.
Texas Southern finished with 34 bench points, shot 49 percent in the first half, and matched Alabama State with 14 fast‑break points while forcing 18 turnovers.
After the game, Head Coach Vernette Skeete said, "We just got out‑toughed. We don't always understand the fight at that moment. My team was the flattest team and the least energetic tonight, and I'm going to fix that."
Texas Southern returns to action Saturday, hosting Alabama A&M at noon inside the H&PE Arena.
