Alcorn Hangs Tough at Grand Canyon Behind a Pair of Double-Doubles

PHOENIX – Senior Marquis Vance and junior Reginal Johnson both registered double-doubles for the Alcorn State University men's basketball program, but Grand Canyon used a late push to hang on to a 63-53 decision on Tuesday at GCU Arena.
 
Vance posted 12 points and matched his career-high with 14 rebounds for the Braves (2-8) who trailed by just three points at halftime. Johnson tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for his first double-double of the year.
 
Alcorn also garnered bench contributions from junior Avery Patterson and freshman Maurice Howard who scored eight and seven points, respectively. The Braves outscored the opposition off the bench for the second game in a row with a 30-8 edge over the Lopes.
 
GCU (7-5) was led by one of the nation's top scorers in DeWayne Russell who finished with 27 points and went 13-for-13 from the free throw line. Fiifi Aidoo aided the attack with 14 points, while Keonta Vernon pitched in with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Alcorn got off to a quick start in the game and scored the first five points after a three-pointer by Vance and a lay-up by freshman Yalen Reed. Though the Lopes scored the next five points to quickly tie it early. The teams exchanged blows the entire first half, and Alcorn took a 26-25 lead after a lay-up by Johnson at the 3:12 mark. GCU responded with a small run to carry a 32-29 edge into the intermission.
 
The Lopes quickly pushed their lead up to 44-34 in the second half, but a three-pointer by Patterson and a pair of free throws by Johnson kept the Braves in striking distance, 44-39 with 12:30 remaining.
 
Alcorn was down 47-42 with 9:53 to go when the Lopes went on a decisive 10-1 run to grab a 57-43 advantage with 4:13 remaining. Howard drilled a three-pointer late to get the deficit back down to single-figures, 60-51, but the Braves were put in a position where they had to foul and send GCU to the free throw line.
 
The 63-53 outcome was a big year-to-year improvement for Alcorn which fell to GCU 79-46 last year.
 
The Braves will return home Thursday to host Rust College at 2 p.m. in their non-conference finale at the Davey L. Whitney Complex. Vance will be honored before the game as Alcorn's newest member of the 1,000-point club. Alcorn is 2-0 at home this season.
 
NOTES
- Alcorn wrapped up its six-game road stretch which included games in four different time zones (pacific, mountain, central and eastern time). The Braves played at Colorado State, San Francisco, California, Louisiana Tech, Georgia Tech and GCU.
 
- Vance notched his eighth career double-double and second this season after etching 12 points and 11 rebounds in the season-opener at Loyola-Chicago. He netted his 58th career double-figure scoring game and eighth this year. It was also his 12th career double-digit rebounding affair and second this season.
 
- Vance's 14 rebounds were the most by a Brave a single-game this season. He matched his career-high set against Texas Southern on March 5, 2015.
 
- Johnson turned in his third career double-double, 28th career double-figure scoring game and third career double-digit rebounding contest. He scored in double-figures for the ninth consecutive game this year.
 
- Johnson entered the game ranked this in the SWAC in offensive rebounds (2.7 orpg) and was on bar with three in the contest. He continued his streak of pulling down at least five total rebounds in every game this season.
 
- Reed went two-for-four from the field. Over the last five games, he's shooting 9-for-13 (.692). Reed is now 16-for-26 (.615) on the season.
 
- Alcorn played its eighth consecutive game without starting center senior DeAndre Davis Due to a hand injury. Davis finished third in the SWAC in both field goal percentage (.584) and offensive rebounding (2.5 orpg) last season.
 
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