Women's Basketball 11/7/2014 4:12:00 PM

Women’s Basketball Downs Armstrong In Exhibition Game

SAVANNAH, Ga. – In the third annual "Battle By The Marsh," the Savannah State women's basketball team beat crosstown rivals Armstrong State 96-84 in a preseason exhibition game Thursday night in Tiger Arena.

SSU now leads the overall series with Armstrong, 2-1. They beat the Lady Pirates 73-62 in 2013, and lost to them, 82-89, in 2012.

Three Lady Tigers finished in double-digits in the high-scoring affair, but the field was led by the 2014 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, Ezinne Kalu.

Kalu racked up 31 points in the win, going 10-for-18 from the field, 4-for-7 from the 3-point line and 7-for-10 on free-throws. Senior Jasmine Norman recorded 20 points, going 9-for-15 from the field. Sophomore Kenyatta Hendrix followed with 18 points.

Newcomer Lauryn Fields was perfect at the charity strip (5-for-5) and hit 9-for-15 from the field for nine points on the night.

The Lady Tigers opened the game with a 6-1 run in the first two minutes. The Lady Pirates bounced back tying the game at 7 with 14:55 to play.

A 3-pointer from Alexia Somerset lifted Armstrong to a 13-10 lead a few minutes later. Kalu answered with a 3-pointer on the next SSU possession to tie the game for the third time.

SSU opened a 5-0 run a minute later for a 23-17 lead with 9:58 to play in the opening half. SSU shot 51.5 percent from the field in the first half.

With 2:59 to play in the opening half, Armstrong tied the game for the seventh time on a 3-pointer from Dee Haywood.

The Lady Tigers closed out the half with a 7-3 run, including a 3-pointer from Kalu at the buzzer, for a 47-43 lead at halftime.

SSU came out firing in the second half with a 6-0 run for a 53-45 lead in the opening two minutes. Norman put SSU up 66-54 a few minutes later on a layup that capped a 7-0 SSU run.

SSU's relentless offense was too much for the Lady Pirates in the second half. Hendrix drained a 3-pointer with 7:39 to play for SSU's largest lead of the night, 80-60.

Armstrong managed to jump back into the game late, but the effort was not enough. Armstrong cut SSU's lead to 92-84 behind a 9-2 run that was capped by a 3-pointer from Machala Raymonville with 50 seconds to play.

The Lady Tigers held on in the final stretch as senior Bria Dorsey drained a free-throw with three seconds left for the final 12-point margin.

Armstrong opened the game with a 50 percent shooting rate from the 3-point line, but dropped to 12.5 percent in the second half. They finished at 44.4 percent from the field and 25 percent from the 3-point line.

Haywood led the Lady Pirates with 21 points, followed by Brigitta Barta with 19, and Amber Howell with 17 points.

Savannah State opens the regular season with a home game against Columbia College on Nov. 14. They travel to Arkansas and Troy in November, and host Alabama State on Nov. 20 to open the 2014-15 season.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Bria Dorsey: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#5 Lauryn Fields: G; 5' 5"; Freshman

#4 Jasmine Norman: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#23 Ezinne Kalu: G; 5' 8"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#1 Bria Dorsey
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#5 Lauryn Fields
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: G

#4 Jasmine Norman
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#23 Ezinne Kalu
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G