March 11, 2008

Baton Rouge, LA - The Southern University women's basketball team finished fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings and has earned a trip to the SWAC post season basketball tournament.

Southern (12-15, 10-8 SWAC) earn the trip after defeating the Texas Southern University Lady Tigers 45-42. The win gave head coach Sandy Pugh her 10 SWAC victory of the season and her seventh double digit SWAC wins total in eight years on "the bluff". Junior Diedra Jackson scored 19 points to lead all scorers. Playing in their final home games at Southern was Indi Johnson and Fredrieka Lewis. Johnson ended the game with four points and five rebounds while Lewis finished with three points and two rebounds.

"We got two big wins heading into the tournament," Jackson said. "It shows us growing as a team."

SU's opponent in the quarterfinals will be former assistant coach Danny Evans and the Lady Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. UAPB swept the Blue and Gold in the season series. In the first game Johnson scored 18 points and Freda Allen pulled in 12 rebounds and scored 10 points but it wasn't enough as the Lady Lions shot 45% from the field and 46% from the three-point line to grab a 52-48 win.

In the second game UAPB scored 39 points in the first half and 38 in the second to earn their first SWAC road win of the year with a 77-64 victory. UAPB opened up a 6-0 lead until the 17:30 mark when the Jaguars scored their first point. The Lady Lions never trailed in the game and used former SU signee Delores Hughley's 17 points to pace them to the season sweep.

UAPB coach Danny Evans holds a 4-2 record over his former boss and will be looking to advance to the semi-finals of the SWAC tournament for the first time as a head coach.