BIRMINGHAM, Ala. &045; Sorry Mardi Gras. This is the craziest week of the year.

Buzzer beaters, half-court shots, bottom seeds upsetting top seeds and overtimes are all key ingredients to conference tournaments.

Or two extra frames in the case of the 2004 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament opener between fourth-seeded Alcorn and No. 5 Grambling.

A dominating 34-point performance from Lady Tiger senior Scherwanda Boston and the Lady Braves’ inconsistency at the charity stripe led to Grambling’s 81-78 victory at the Fair Park Arena on Wednesday.

&uot;It hurts. I wasn’t ready to go home. If I told you that, I’d be lying,&uot; Alcorn head coach Shirley Walker said. &uot;We just gotta have people understand, when they go to the free-throw line, you’ve gotta make them.&uot;

Tnonealyer Powers’ double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds led the Lady Braves (13-15), who also put LaToya Johnson and Shikhia Sims in double figures with 17 points each, as well as Candace Roberts’ 12.

Boston was complimented by Dominique Head’s double-double of 14 points and 13 boards, in addition to Ty Baker’s 12 points. Grambling (13-14) advances into Friday’s 12:30 p.m. semifinal matchup against Mississippi Valley, who upset No. 1 seed Alabama State 57-52 in the capper Wednesday.

&uot;These kids don’t step back from any competition,&uot; Lady Tigers head coach Rusty Ponton said. &uot;The parity in the conference is as close as it has been. I think you’re gonna see a lot of good games here this week.&uot;

Alcorn took its last lead of the game, 68-66, when Powers powered up for two of her team high, 14 seconds into the second overtime. Boston tied it up on the ensuing possession off a pair of freebies with 4:04 left.

One of the Lady Braves’ 18 turnovers led to two more for Boston, who muscled in a leaner for the 70-68 lead. Alcorn had a chance to take the lead at the line on two consecutive trips, but Powers and Johnson each made 1 of 2 to knot the score at 70s instead.

&uot;I think if we would’ve made our free throws and capitalized on our defensive assignments, we could’ve pulled through,&uot; Walker said. &uot;From what I’ve seen that’s what it boils down to.&uot;

A jaw-dropping 3-point play from Boston, who scored her team’s first seven points in the second OT, put Grambling up three, 75-72, with 1:10 left before the Lady Braves shaved their deficit to one on two occasions during the final minute.

Trailing 79-78 after a Powers’ 3-point play with 13.1 seconds left, Alcorn ignored a must-foul situation and surrendered an uncontested layup to Tre Wilson.

A Sims’ desperation heave fell short, as did the Lady Braves’ chances of making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

&uot;I thought we played hard, but at this point in the postseason, we have to eliminate the turnovers,&uot; a melancholy Walker said. &uot;We’ve discussed that the whole season.&uot;

That both teams made it to their first overtime game of the year was a March Madness miracle in itself.

Alcorn watched a 12-point lead evaporate thanks to a Lady Tigers’ 8-0 surge, in addition to a mini-run inside the second half’s first 10 minutes.

Grambling took a 56-55 lead, just its second of the game and the first since the 18:12 mark of the first half, on a layup from sophomore Betty Lee with 58.4 seconds left in regulation.

&uot;In a game like this you don’t look at yourself,&uot; said Lee, a victim of two ACL tears. Like (former University of Arkansas head coach) Nolan Richardson said (Tuesday) night (at the SWAC banquet), you have to give your body. We’re going dancing.&uot;

After Johnson made 1 of 2 at the line to tie it, Boston drove the paint for a wide-open runner to put the Lady Tigers back ahead with five seconds left.

&uot;That’s my responsibility as a leader on the floor,&uot; Boston said. But I have to credit my point guard (Lee) for getting me the ball at the right place.&uot;

Alcorn’s Natasha Dennis inbounded the ball into the frontcourt to Johnson, who drove the right sideline before reaching the low block.

That’s where she lost control, the ball came free and a scrum ensued. Powers appeared from the pile and willed in a layup with 4/10 of a second left in front of a hysterical Alcorn men’s team, which was in the seats watching.

&uot;I don’t know how I ended up with the ball, but I did and I took it to the hole,&uot; Powers said.

It was Powers and Roberts early on that dictated play, each scoring 10 points and abusing GSU with its high-low offense.