LORMAN &045; Everyone else may have been astonished, but not Alcorn head coach Shirley Walker.

The veteran coach knew Mississippi Valley State’s Lady Devils had it in them with head coach Nate Kilbert, a longtime assistant of Walker’s at Alcorn. Kilbert may not be in the best of situations with a Valley program that has not experienced much success in years past, but he put a fire in his club in last year’s SWAC Tournament that put his team in the conference championship.

Walker will never take a Kilbert team lightly, and no one with the Lady Braves will when Valley visits at 5:30 p.m. today despite Alcorn claiming 27 of the last 29 meetings.

&uot;I think Nate is one of the best coaches in this conference,&uot; Walker said. &uot; I’m afraid of him, and I won’t tell him that I’m not. I know he has struggled with talent. When you get kids who believe in his system, they’ll be very deep. We’ll get in here and do what do what we can possibly do to do it right to do things against Mississippi Valley to come out with a win.&uot;

Valley is off to 2-1 start in conference with wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alabama A&M, but it’ll be the Lady Devils’ first trip away from home today. Their loss came Monday to Alabama State.

The Lady Devils lost just one player from last year’s team that entered the tournament as a No. 8 seed and knocked off regular season champion Alabama State in the first round. They followed that with a one-point win over Grambling to get into the finals, where they lost by seven to Southern.

&uot;I thought his kids were very hungry,&uot; Walker said. &uot;I think they really wanted to win one for him. Every year we meet, and this is the fourth year. When he was with me, there are some things I’ve learned from him. It’s all about love, but we’ll fight against one another.&uot;

For that reason the Lady Braves (4-0, 8-4) won’t look past the Delta Devils as they hope to build on their solid start in conference. Alcorn hasn’t lost to Valley since the 1998-99 season and is in the first game of a two-game homestand with a struggling Arkansas-Pine Bluff team before next week’s crucial Alabama road trip.

But first things first, and talk about the upcoming games later.

&uot;The games aren’t won on paper,&uot; forward Candace Roberts said. &uot;It’s on the floor. Any day people can be beaten. You’ve got to keep that mindset that you’re the best. To be the best, you’ve got to stay on top. I want to win and want to be the best.&uot;

Roberts’ presence underneath has been a big help in the absence of Tnonealyer Powers, who is still questionable for tonight’s game due to a MCL strain. Roberts stepped up in her absence, as did others on a team that has really begun to jell early in the season.

It’s the first 4-0 start for Alcorn since the 1992-93 team started 12-0.

&uot;We have to work hard and play smart, and everybody hasn’t played their best game yet,&uot; forward Natasha Dennis said. &uot;When we all put that together and everybody plays their best game, it’s going to be real scary. We’re confident as a team, and we believe in each other.&uot;