Men's Basketball | 1/5/2018 3:31:00 PM

Braves Look to Extend Home Winning-Streak against JSU, GSU

Alcorn Game Notes | Braves All-Access | Live Radio | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – Riding a four-game home winning-streak, the Alcorn State University men's basketball program will take on Jackson State at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Grambling State at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
 
The doubleheader Saturday is sponsored by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
 
The Braves (4-11, 0-2 SWAC) have been tough to beat at home as they're 4-1 this year and 15-3 over the last two seasons.
 
Senior guard A.J. Mosby ranks 43rd in the country in assist:turnover ratio with a 2.8 mark. He also ranks third in the SWAC in field goal percentage (.510) and assists (3.7 apg). He averages a team-high 12.9 points per game and is shooting .857 from the free throw line.
 
Junior Dante Sterling scores 10.8 points per game and has made at least one three-pointer in every game this season. He's reached double-digits in scoring in six of the last seven games. Sterling set his career-high at 17 points against Rust College on Dec. 1 and matched it at Prairie View A&M on Jan. 1.
 
In conference games, Sterling leads the team with 15.0 points per outing, while Mosby is second with 11.5 points per game.
 
JSU (5-10, 2-0 SWAC) opened SWAC play with back-to-back wins. The Tigers defeated Alabama State 82-73 and Alabama A&M 59-56.
 
Maurice Rivers averages 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Paris Collins posts 11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per outing. As a team, JSU allows just 69.9 points per game which ranks first in the conference.
 
GSU (4-11, 0-2 SWAC) will look to shake off losses against AAMU 71-64 and ASU 77-64. The Tigers registered a marquee non-conference win over Georgia Tech 64-63. GSU also defeated UT-Rio Grande Valley 82-76 and Southeastern Louisiana 68-67.
 
Ivy Smith Jr. leads the way with 15.6 points per game. Axel Mpoyo tallies 10.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. GSU leads the SWAC in both free throw percentage (.730) and steals per game (8.5) as Smith is second in the league in both categories.
 
Both games can be watched with a subscription on Braves All-Access. They can also be heard for free via radio on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.
 
NOTES
- Alcorn is going for its fourth consecutive win over Jackson State. The Braves swept the season-series last year including a 69-58 victory at home where Mosby netted a team-high 16 points.
 
- As a team, the Braves lead the conference in field goal percentage (.422), field goal percentage defense (.454), assists (13.8 apg) and assist:turnover ratio (1.0). They are second in three-pointers made per game (8.2), led by sophomore Maurice Howard who sinks 2.0 threes a night which is top-five in the league.
 
- The Braves are 4-0 this year when they outrebound their opponent. They are also unbeaten when leading at halftime.
 
- In his third season, head coach Montez Robinson hoists a 26-12 SWAC record. He's tallied back-to-back second-place finishes with 13-5 records in conference. It was the first back-to-back winning seasons at Alcorn in 15 years. Robinson is the reigning SWAC Coach of the Year winner.
 
- Alcorn has been without two huge contributors due to injury, including both the SWAC Preseason Player of the Year Reginal Johnson and Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year Yalen Reed.
 
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