Hornet Chat

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The loss in late February was especially frustrating to Jackson after watching his team lead for most of the contest. Alabama State and Southern traded baskets — and the lead — for a four-minute span in the first half, but the Hornets led for the final 5:04 of the first half and the entire second half until Derick Beltran’s pull-up jumper with 1:42 remaining.

“We held them to 55 points,” Jackson said. “I’m sure that was under their season average (by seven points). We played enough defense to win the ballgame. It’s our offense that hurt us down the stretch. And we had opportunities. We just didn’t get it done.”

Butler reached the 1,000-point career mark midway through the first half and finished with 18 points, giving the senior guard 1,011 career points. He was the only player in double figures for the Hornets, another indication of Alabama State’s offensive struggles on Monday.

“It was us,” Butler said. “We got away from what we’ve been doing and what was working. We tried new things and it didn’t work.”

Alabama State (10-16) dropped to 7-7 in SWAC play and will play its last two games on the road this weekend, beginning Saturday at Texas Southern.

Beltran led Southern (15-13, 11-4 SWAC) with 22 points, followed by Quinton Doggett with 18.
ASU women 52,
Southern 39

The Alabama State women continued their late-season run, knocking off the SWAC leader in surprisingly easy fashion despite a rash of turnovers.

ASU (11-12) won for the fifth time in the last seven games, moving into a tie for fourth place in the conference at 8-6 with four regular-season games remaining.

The Lady Hornets led by 11 points at the half, then opened the second half with a 13-4 run to lead by as many as 22 points.

Danielle Gazaway scored 13 points and added six rebounds for the Lady Hornets.

Erica Henderson had 10 points and six rebounds while Millicent Jones had 10 points and five rebounds.

The Lady Jaguars (11-11, 10-5) were led by Jamie Floyd’s 13 points.

The Lady Hornets travel to Houston on Saturday for a 5:30 game with Texas Southern.

This story was originally published at: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20120221/SPORTS0403/202210311/1180

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WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today

WHERE: Dunn-Oliver Acadome

RECORDS: ASU (10-15, 7-6 SWAC), SU (14-13, 10-4)

ON THE AIR: TV — None; Radio — WVAS 90.7

ALABAMA STATE LINEUP: G Jeff Middlebrooks (6-0, Sr.), 5.9 ppg., 4.7 apg.; F Ivory White (6-4, Sr.), 10.0 ppg., 5.9 rpg.; G Stephawn Brown (6-4, Jr.), 4.7 ppg., 4.1 rpg.; G Tramaine Butler (6-2, Sr.), 11.1 ppg., 3.8 rpg; F Philip Crawford (6-7, Jr.), 11.4 ppg., 5.9 rpg.

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LINEUP: G Derick Beltran (6-4, Jr.), 12.4 ppg., 3.5 rpg.; G Jameel Grace (6-0, Jr.), 10.4 ppg., 4.5 apg.; G Cameron Monroe (6-2, Fr.), 4.2 ppg., 1.5 rpg; F Quinton Doggett (6-8, Sr.), 11.9 ppg., 7.9 rpg.; G Fredrick Coleman (6-6, Sr.), 4.6 ppg., 5.3 rpg.

NOTEWORTHY: Alabama State’s 68-56 loss at Southern on Jan. 23 represents one of only two double-digit conference losses this season. The other was a 70-58 loss at Mississippi Valley on Feb. 4¤.¤.¤.¤Reserve guard Ryan Watts is coming off a career-best 19 points and is averaging 13 points per game in the Hornets’ last five games¤.¤.¤.¤Kenderick Washington sat out his ninth consecutive game on Saturday for academic reasons.¤.¤.¤.¤In the first meeting between the two teams, ASU had a 45-27 rebounding advantage despite center Philip Crawford’s foul problems that limited him to 16 minutes¤.¤.¤.¤Crawford is coming off a career-best 27 points vs. Alcorn and is averaging 15.5 points per game in the Hornets’ last six games¤.¤.¤.¤Point guard Jeff Middlebrooks is 0 of 13 in his last two games but has 13 assists¤.¤.¤.¤Tramaine Butler needs just seven points to reach 1,000 in his career¤.¤.¤.¤Alabama State has managed 40 or more rebounds in six of its last seven games and is averaging 44.3 boards per game in that span.
— Compiled by Tim Gayle

This story was originally published at: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20120220/SPORTS0403/120220001/1180

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“I just felt good today,” Crawford said. “I felt like if I get the ball and make good decisions with it, we’ll win.”

When the Braves tried to make another run, it was Watts that answered. The reserve guard, held scoreless through the first 26 minutes of the contest, scored seven consecutive points to put ASU up by 10. He finished with 19 points, four better than his previous career high and continued a trend that has seen the junior average 13 points per game in the last five games.

“I just got some good looks,” he said. “Good passes lead to good shots. I was just feeling good tonight. I felt like I didn’t do anything in the first half but foul and turn the ball over. I was just trying to make it up.”

Ivory White added 11 points and nine rebounds for Alabama State. Tramaine Butler had nine points in the first half before finishing with 10, leaving him seven shy of the 1,000-point mark in his career. Point guard Jeff Middlebrooks missed all six field goals but dished out nine assists.

Ian Francis led Alcorn State with 14 points, followed by Martrevious Sanders with 12 and Kendrick McDonald with 10.

The solid performance on both ends of the floor could be an indication the Hornets are finally finding a groove as they make a late-season run toward another NCAA tournament berth, but Monday’s game with second-place Southern will be a better indicator. Tipoff at the Acadome is set for 7:30 p.m.

“I would like to think it’s us coming together as a team,” Jackson said.

“We just have to keep believing in each other and play with continuity on offense,” Watts said, “and lock it up on ‘D’ and we’ll win a championship.”
Alabama State women 62,
Alcorn State 57

Quentori Alford scored a pair of crucial baskets on consecutive trips downcourt midway through the fourth quarter and Alabama State held off Alcorn State at the free-throw line to win for the fourth time in the last six outings.

Alford finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds as ASU (10-12) improved to 7-6 in SWAC play with five games remaining, pulling within a half-game of fourth place and one game out of third.

Alford’s back-to-back baskets with five minutes remaining pushed the Lady Hornets’ lead out to five points, but Alcorn rallied to cut the lead to a point. Free throws by Kierra Page, Danielle Gazaway and Jasmine Quinn sealed the win, along with some defense by Taila Arrington on Alcorn guard Kiara Ruffin in the final minutes.

Ruffin finished with 20 points, but 14 of those came at the free-throw line as she was 2-of-8 from the field. Tiffany Stewart added 18.

ASU remains home to play SWAC leader Southern at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

This story was originally published at: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20120219/SPORTS0403/202190329/1180