Dawn Thornton and the Lady Bulldogs are Teasing Us with an Historic Run

In her first two seasons at Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Dawn Thornton has led the Lady Bulldogs to the verge of consecutive 20-win seasons.

Saturday's thrilling win over Alabama State electrified the Lady Bulldogs, who now hold at least a share of the SWAC regular season title. Securing a victory against Grambling State or Southern would clinch the coveted No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament in Atlanta, Georgia.

With only one conference loss, Alabama A&M would gain a distinct tournament advantage as a top seed after dominating the SWAC in 2026.

They hold a 19-9 overall record and a 15-1 SWAC mark before facing Grambling State on Tuesday and Southern on Thursday, Mar. 5.

If Alabama A&M wins both games against the Louisiana HBCU teams, it will secure back-to-back 21-win seasons under Thornton.

This would mark the first time in program history that the Lady Bulldogs have posted consecutive 21-win seasons, highlighting the rarity and significance of this milestone for Thornton and the team.

Thornton is 40-20 since taking over on The Hill, with the Bulldogs going 29-5 in SWAC play the past two seasons.

The current win streak would give the Bulldogs 17 straight victories, the longest of the Division I era.

The Lady Bulldogs finish at home against Grambling State and Southern, but both opponents will try to spoil their plans.

Having won the SWAC regular-season title, Thornton and her staff now focus on hanging a conference banner in the Alabama A&M Event Center.

'I've never won a regular season championship, so this is very, very special,' Thornton told reporters. 'Not just for A&M, but for Huntsville and my father, who has battled cancer for three years and couldn't be here today. I'm dedicating the whole season to him.'

A crowd of 6,175 at the A&M Event Center saw Alabama A&M secure the SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament’s top seed by completing the season sweep of Alabama State, 51-43.

Jaida Belton led all scorers with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Camiyha Griffin added 10 points and 2 rebounds for Alabama A&M.

Alanah Pooler led Alabama State with 10 points and 9 rebounds. No other player reached double figures against the Bulldogs' defense.

Both contests tip off at 5:30 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center and will be streamed on SWAC TV.

Published 1 hour ago | Modified 1 hour ago

KYLE MOSLEY

I am Kyle T. Mosley, the Founder, Managing Editor, and Chief Reporter for the HBCU Legends. Former founder and publisher of the Saints News Network, and Pelicans Scoop on SI since October 2019. Morehouse Alum, McDonogh #35 Roneagles (NOLA), Drum Major of the Tenacious Four. My Father, Mother, Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles were HBCU graduates! Host of "Blow the Whistle" HBCU Legends, "The Quad" with Coach Steward, and "Bayou Blitz" Podcasts. Radio/Media Appearances: WWL AM/FM Radio in New Orleans (Mike Detillier/Bobby Hebert), KCOH AM 1230 in Houston (Ralph Cooper), WBOK AM in New Orleans (Reggie Flood/Ro Brown), and 103.7FM "The Game" (Jordy Hultberg/Clint Domingue), College Kickoff Unlimited (Emory Hunt), Jeff Lightsly Show, and Offscript TV on YouTube. Television Appearance: Fox26 in Houston on The Isiah Carey Factor, College Kickoff Unlimited (Emory Hunt). My Notable Interviews: Byron Allen (Media Mogul), Deion Sanders (Collegiate Head Coach), Drew Brees (Former NFL QB), Mark Ingram (NFL RB), Terron Armstead (NFL OL), Jameis Winston (NFL QB), Cam Newton (NFL QB), Cam Jordan (NFL), Demario Davis (NFL), Allan Houston (NBA All-Star), Deuce McAllister (Former NFL RB), Chennis Berry (Collegiate Head Coach), Johnny Jones (Collegiate Head Coach), Tomekia Reed (Women's Basketball Coach), Tremaine Jackson (Collegiate Head Coach), Taylor Rooks (NBA Reporter), Swin Cash (Former VP of Basketball - New Orleans Pelicans), Demario and Tamala Davis (NFL Player), Jerry Rice (Hall of Famer), Doug Williams (HBCU & NFL Legend), Emmitt Smith (Hall of Famer), James "Shack" Harris (HBCU & NFL Legend), Cris Carter (Hall of Famer), Solomon Wilcots (SiriusXM NFL Host), Steve Wyche (NFL Network), Jim Trotter (NFL Network), Travis Williams (Founder of HBCU All-Stars, LLC), Malcolm Jenkins (NFL Player), Willie Roaf (NFL Hall of Fame), Jim Everett (Former NFL Player), Quinn Early (Former NFL Player), Dr. Reef (NFL Players' Trainer Specialist), Nataria Holloway (VP of the NFL). I am building a new team of journalists, podcasters, videographers, and interns. For media requests, interviews, or interest in joining HBCU Legends, please contact me at kmosley@hbcusi.com. Follow me:

Follow ktmoze

Home/Basketball