Men's Basketball | 11/8/2018 11:07:00 AM

Braves Play Home Opener Friday Evening against Blue Mountain

Alcorn Game Notes | Live Radio | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – The first of 14 home games for the Alcorn State University men's basketball program at the Davey L. Whitney Complex is set for 7 p.m. Friday when the Braves host Blue Mountain.
 
The Braves (0-1) opened the season Tuesday at Tulsa. They trailed by one with 8:18 to go before the Hurricane ended the game on a 20-4 run for a 73-56 final.
 
Junior Deshaw Andrews shined with a game-high 20 points to go along with five points and four steals in 29 minutes. It was Andrews' first game as a Brave as he set his career-high at 20 points. He was an NJCAA Division I All-American and Region X Player of the Year last season at USC Salkehatchie.
 
The Braves have won six of their last seven home openers. The only loss came last season when they hosted Yale.
 
Alcorn is 4-0 all-time against Blue Mountain. Last season, the Braves won 83-56 as junior Maurice Howard poured in 18 points.
 
Blue Mountain (1-0) opened its season on Nov. 1 with a big 101-85 road victory at Freed-Hareman. Tyree Beason netted 26 points including 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Lukas Durasas posted a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
 
BMC finished 6-19 overall last year, but brought in 13 newcomers including four international student-athletes.
 
Friday's game can be heard on the radio on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.
 
NOTES
- The Braves are 9-0 against non-Division I opponents under head coach Montez Robinson.
 
- Alcorn will get healthy bodies back after battling an injury-plagued season a year ago. Three student-athletes were on the team last year but redshirted including junior Khari Jabriel Allen, junior Harold Givens and sophomore Noah Plain.
 
- Prior to Alcorn's injury-filled season last year, the program was coming off 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.
 
- The Braves ranked first in the SWAC in assists with 13.1 per game last year. They were second in both three-point percentage (.338) and three-pointers made per game (7.5). Howard finished third in the league individually in three-pointers made per game with 2.3.
 
- Alcorn was undefeated last year when it shot over 50 percent from the field, and also unbeaten when it scored over 80 points.
 
- Robinson's coaching staff includes the 2004 SWAC Newcomer of the Year and All-Conference First-Team honoree Delvin Thompson who played at Alcorn, Derek Thompson who has over 10 years of collegiate coaching experience and Evans Davis who most recently was the head coach at Armstrong State.
 
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