HOUSTON -- Given the name the "unsung hero" by head coach Nadine Domond, forward Monisha Neal scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the Grambling State University Lady Tigers 60-54 victory over the Prairie View A&M Univeristy Lady Panthers.
The Lady Tigers move on to the semi-finals in the Southwestern Athletic Conference basketball tournament at the Toyota Center as they face Alabama State University Friday at 6 p.m. Domond attributed a lot of the win to one player.
"The things that Monisha Neal does for this team are unbelievable," she said during a post game news conference. "I'm super proud of her leadership today."
Domond was clearly elated with the win, yet she looked forward.
"We played one heck of a basketball game. These young ladies are special," she continued. "For us we just played for 40 minutes; that's all we had. You play hard for 40 minutes. Hopefully you'll get another 40 minutes, and that is what's happening tomorrow. We'll have another 40 minutes to play, and that's all we're worried about."
In the first quarter the Lady Tigers were on an 8-1 run against the Lady Panthers for three minutes and 35 seconds. Prairie View was able to gain the lead at the very end of the quarter with 53.5 seconds remaining with a basket by Tori Carter.
Both teams toggled the lead in the second quarter. The Lady Panthers found themselves in foul trouble early on in the quarter, placing the Lady Tigers in the bonus, giving them the advantage to score more points at the free throw line. Still, Prairie View stayed close behind them, refusing to accept a defeat so soon in the game.
A basket at the goal by freshman Aliah Kennedy at the halftime buzzer placed Grambling State in the lead, but only by one, with the score 30-29. SWAC Freshman of the Year Skyla Hill had 10 points and Lamaria Cole of Prairie View had 10.
In the second two quarters the teams traded the lead again, but the Lady Tigers were able to break away from the Lady Panthers and hang onto the lead throughout the remainder of the game.
The Lady Tigers were successful against PVAMU in the regular season twice, but Domond made it known that none of it mattered once the tournament began. "Even though we had a 2-0 record against them in the conference, you start fresh during the tournament," she said.
Neal was the star of the game with scoring and rebounds and she added an assist and a steal. Hill added 14 points, three rebounds, three steals and three steals. Cole of the Lady Panthers finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal.
The Lady Tigers haven't advanced past the first round of the tournament since 2013. Now there's a rematch.
GSU will play the #1 seed Alabama State University, the team that defeated Grambling State Saturday (March 5).
