Alcorn Game Notes |
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HOUSTON – Having already clinched a berth to the SWAC Championships, the Alcorn State University men's basketball program will close out the regular season with games at Texas Southern at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at H&PE Arena, and Prairie View A&M at 5 p.m. Saturday at the William Nicks Building.
The Braves (10-18, 6-10 SWAC) currently sit in seventh-place in the standings. They can finish as high as No. 6 and as low as No. 8. A sixth-place finish would happen if they win their last two games, and Jackson State (11-18, 8-8 SWAC) losses its last two games.
The Tigers (18-11, 13-3 SWAC) and the Panthers (17-12, 15-1 SWAC) are the top-two teams in the SWAC standings. The Panthers have already locked up at least a share of the regular season title.
The Braves are seeking their first road win of the year. Alcorn finished 10-3 at home where it outscored the opposition 957-786. The Braves won six of their last seven home games.
Alcorn will attempt to snap a 24-game skid against TSU with the last win coming in 2007-08. The most notable match-up was in the finals of the 2016-17 SWAC Championship where the Tigers held on to a 53-50 decision.
Alcorn ranks second in the SWAC in scoring defense (68.3 ppg), three-point defense (.307) and assists (12.8 apg).
Junior
Maurice Howard is the league's top three-point shooter. He ranks first in both three-point percentage (.396) and three-pointers made per game (3.1). He's already broken his own single-season school record in three-pointers made in a season with 86. Howard logs 36.2 minutes per game - also most in the league - and has played 40 minutes nine times. He averages a team-high 13.4 points per outing and is 36-for-40 (.900) from the free throw line.
Alcorn head coach
Montez Robinson carries a 39-31 SWAC record and was the 2016-17 SWAC Coach of the Year.
Sophomore
Troymain Crosby is averaging 11.5 points and a team-high 5.0 rebounds per outing. Senior
Reginal Johnson is starting to hit his stride and is currently averaging 10.3 points per game. He's up to 1,318 career points.
The Braves ended their home slate with a 2-0 weekend where they beat Alabama State 74-69 (OT) and AAMU 61-55. Senior
Reginal Johnson took over against the Hornets on his Senior Day with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Eight of his points came in overtime. Alcorn improved to 5-3 against the Hornets and 7-1 versus the Bulldogs under Robinson.
The Braves are 7-0 (3-0 SWAC) this season when they outscore the opposition in points in the paint.
Both the Panthers and the Tigers are on fire. PVAMU has won six in a row, and TSU 10 in a row. The Panthers need one victory to win the regular season outright. The Tigers can win a share of the regular season by winning their last two and having PVAMU lose its last two.
TSU is 8-1 at home this season, and PVAMU is 8-0.
The 2019 SWAC Championships begin Tuesday with the higher seed hosting the first round.
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