Braves Drop SWAC Opener to Tough TSU Squad

LORMAN, Miss. – A hot-shooting Texas Southern team posted a 52.2 percentage from three-point range to grab an 87-70 decision over the Alcorn State University men's basketball program Saturday in the conference-opener at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
 
TSU (6-8, 1-0 SWAC), which has wins this season over Baylor, Oregon and Texas A&M, shot for a 33-for-60 (.550) mark from the floor including a scorching hot 12-for-12 (.522) from beyond-the-arc.
 
The Braves (4-9, 0-1 SWAC) garnered big outings from junior Maurice Howard and sophomore Troymain Crosby. Howard registered a game-high 18 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in 37 minutes. Crosby poured in 17 points, including 13 in the second half, to go along with four rebounds and three steals.
 
Devocio Butler scored 15 points for TSU including 4-for-4 from three. John Jones finished with a team-high 17 points including five three-pointers. Trayvon Reed came off the bench to tally 13 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Alcorn scored the first six points of the game on a pair of three-pointers by Howard. Though, the Tigers responded with a 13-3 run to leap ahead 13-9 at the 15:39 mark.
 
A lay-up by junior Khari Jabriel Allen had the Braves down 16-14, but a 7-0 spurt by TSU pushed the advantage up to 14-23 midway through. The Tigers got hot near the end of the half and used an 8-0 run to lead 41-21 with 3:22 remaining.
 
Alcorn closed out the final two minutes strong, including a 9-0 run to get the deficit down to 43-32 at the half. The run included a jumper by senior Reginal Johnson and a three-pointer by Allen.
 
Though, the Tigers opened the second half on a 10-2 run to go up 53-34 and take control. Their largest lead came on a three-pointer by Jones to go up 78-54 with 6:04 left.
 
The Braves fought until the end and were able to get the deficit down to 17 points in the final minute which included free throws by Crosby and senior TyQuaylon Smith.
 
Alcorn will be back in action Monday when it hosts Prairie View A&M at 7:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
- It was Alcorn's first home loss of the season. Still, the Braves have outscored the opposition 436-298 inside the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
 
- Alcorn head coach Montez Robinson is now 33-22 in four seasons of conference play.
 
- The Braves entered the game leading the SWAC in steals with 8.3 per game and will improve their average after grabbing 13. Junior Deshaw Andrews ranks first individually and had a pair tonight.
 
- Howard poured in his 29th career double-figure scoring game and seventh this year. He was 4-for-7 from long-distance. Howard has scored at least 15 points in five of the last six games. He is a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line on the year.
 
- Crosby submitted his 16th career double-digit scoring outing and fifth this year. He shot 6-of-14 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free throw line.
 
Quoting Alcorn head coach Montez Robinson
Opening Statement
"For this to be the first conference game I was a little disappointed on how we came out. We came out slow and sluggish like it wasn't the first conference game. TSU came out and jumped on us and got it up to 20 points. Then we had a little run, but you can't get yourself in a hole early in the game like that. We turned the ball over too many times, and that's not a Braves basketball game."
 
On TSU's hot shooting
"TSU hit 12 threes tonight and that's a little out of character for them. We weren't getting out there to those men and touching them. We were allowing them to put the ball on the floor. When you aren't giving maximum effort like you should, guys are going to get hot. Butler was 4-for-4 from three in the first half. He's a catch and shoot guy. We gave their guys confidence and we gave them life. I give those guys credit, they were well coached and executed their game plan."
 
On guarding 7-2 center Trayvon Reed
"I thought for the most part we did a good job on Reed. He got a couple lob dunks in transition. We were down and we tried to force a few quick passes hoping to force a couple of turnovers. He's 7-2 but I felt like [Devon] Brewer was doing a good job of bodying him up. We were trying to let him know we weren't going to let him back us down."
 
On Maurice Howard, Troymain Crosby and foul trouble
"We got in foul trouble early, but I kept Howard in because we needed some offense. With the way Maurice plays, he can get two fouls in the first half and never get another one. In Troymain's case, because of his energy and different things he may do he could have gotten a third so we had to take him out. Maurice did a great job of guarding without fouling and keeping up within the flow of the game."
 
Final Thoughts
"We missed 10 free throws. We allowed 21 points off turnovers. That's the game right there. We had to coach too many things that we shouldn't be coaching. It wasn't our night. No excuses, we just didn't come to play."
 
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