SSU Comes Back to Edge Alcorn 80-75

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Savannah State erased a 20-point first half deficit to deliver a tough 80-75 result over the Alcorn State University men's basketball program Saturday in a neutral court game at the Vines Center, hosted by Liberty.
 
The Braves (1-5), who have been playing with a depleted bench due to injuries, saw four of five starters score in double-figures. However, SSU (3-4) held a 41-4 edge in bench scoring.
 
Junior Deshaw Andrews registered a double-double with career-highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Maurice Howard neared a double-double with 18 points and a career-high nine assists.
 
Another near double-double came from junior Devon Brewer as he ended with 10 points and matched his career-high with nine rebounds. Junior Khari Jabriel Allen poured in a career-high 16 points and was 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
 
The Tigers were paced by Romani Hansen who tallied 19 points off the bench. Jaquan Dotson ended with 18 points and six rebounds.
 
All of the team statistics for the game were relatively close. Alcorn shot .444 (28-63) from the floor, while SSU posted a .419 (26-62) mark.
 
The Braves scored the first seven points of the game on a lay-up by Andrews, three-pointer by Howard and lay-up by Brewer. Alcorn extended it to 15-5 after a long-range shot by Allen at the 16:03 mark.
 
Still up 22-12, the Braves went on a 10-0 spurt which included threes by Andrews and Howard to grab a 32-12 advantage with 10:29 remaining.
 
Alcorn was ahead 35-15 when the Tigers answered with a 9-0 run to get back in it 35-24 with 7:08 to go. SSU nearly came all the way back in the first half as another 8-0 spurt late trimmed it to just 37-36 with 3:31 left. A three-pointer by Howard gave the Braves a 40-36 lead at the intermission.
 
The Braves came out hot early in the second and pushed the lead up to 47-38 at the 17:57 mark after a three by Allen.
 
Alcorn was ahead 57-51 with 11:57 to go when an 8-3 run again made it a one-point game, 60-59 Alcorn, with 8:36 remaining. The Tigers took their first lead of the game, 63-62, on a three-pointer by Hansen at the 6:28 mark.
 
SSU led by five with a minute left when Allen was fouled shooting a three-pointer and made all three free throws to trail 77-75. After an Alcorn foul, the Tigers made one of two free throws and the Braves got the ball back down three with 35 seconds.
 
On Alcorn's final series, it had a couple of looks after it missed a shot inside but grabbed the offensive rebound, but a three-pointer with eight seconds left was off the mark. The Braves fouled and SSU made two free throws to make it 80-75.
 
The Braves will wrap-up a five-game road trip Monday when it heads to Mississippi State for a 7 p.m. game in Starkville.
 
NOTES
- It was just the second-ever meeting between Alcorn and SSU. The Braves won the first 98-60 in 1978-79.
 
- The Braves shot a season-high .800 from the free throw line. The 20 assists and 28 made field goals were also season-bests.
 
- Andrews posted his first career double-doubles. The 21 points and 10 rebounds were both the most by a Brave in a single-game this season. He notched his fourth double-figure scoring outing of the year. His previous highs were 20 points at Tulsa and nine rebounds against Blue Mountain.
 
- Howard netted his 24th career double-figure scoring game and second this season. His nine assists topped his previous best of six, set three times. Howard was 4-of-11 from beyond-the-arc.
 
- Allen drained his first career double-figure scoring game. He crushed his previous career-high of eight points set twice last year. His seven free throws made tied a team-high this year with Andrews who made seven at Tulsa.
 
- Brewer reached double-figures for the seventh time in his career and first time this year. His nine rebounds topped his previous high of seven, set twice last year. Brewer was 5-for-8 from the floor in 34 minutes.
 
- The Braves were without starters Troymain Crosby and Alonzo Campbell due to injury.
 
- Alcorn is in the midst of a loaded non-conference schedule which includes games at Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Kent State, Liberty, Mississippi State, UAB and South Florida.
 
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