Men's Basketball | 2/7/2020 10:46:00 AM

Braves Start Back Stretch of SWAC Play at JSU, GSU

Alcorn Game Notes | Live Radio | Live Stats (JSU) | Live Stats (GSU)

JACKSON, Miss. – At the midway point of the conference schedule, the Alcorn State University men's basketball program sits one game out of first place.
 
The Braves (10-10, 6-3 SWAC) will look to climb further up the standings this weekend when they travel to Jackson State (8-14, 5-4 SWAC) for a 5:30 p.m. game Saturday, and to Grambling State (11-11, 5-4 SWAC) for a 7:30 p.m. tip Monday.
 
Alcorn is one game behind both Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M who are 7-2 SWAC. The Braves have won five of their last six games, and three of their last four on the road.
 
Alcorn is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country. The program ranks top-15 in three-point percentage (.384) and 21st in threes made per game (9.7). Individually, senior Maurice Howard ranks 20th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.424). Howard has made more threes than anyone in school history with 262.
 
Howard was named the front-runner for SWAC Player of the Year by ESPN on Feb. 4. He averages a team-high 15.1 points per game, and 15.9 in conference.  In addition to his scoring and three-point shooting, he ranks fifth in the school record book in assists with 300. Howard has scored 1,245 career points with a career-high of 31 at Texas Southern this year.
 
Senior Deshaw Andrews scores 13.0 points per game and leads the SWAC in free throw percentage with a .884 mark. He won SWAC Player of the Week on Jan. 20 after the sweep at MVSU and UAPB. Howard and Andrews are both on the Dos Equis 3X3U Watch List. They are 2 of 10 from the SWAC on the list.
 
Senior Corey Tillery scores 12.8 points per outing and is already tied for seventh in Alcorn single-season history in three-pointers made with 59. The grad-transfer from Tennessee Tech has made at least five three-pointers in four different games this year.
 
Junior Troymain Crosby is second on the team in scoring and averages 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He submitted a career-high 27 points at MVSU.
 
Alcorn's leading rebounder is junior Kobe Wilson with 6.2 rebounds per outing. He ranks fourth in the SWAC in blocks (1.0 bpg) and offensive rebounding (2.2 orpg).
 
JSU has gotten it done on the defensive end and ranks 22nd in the country in turnovers forced (16.6) and 27th in steals (8.5 spg). The team has won three in a row including a road weekend sweep at MVSU and UAPB. Tristan Jarrett scores a league-leading 17.4 points per game.
 
GSU started conference play hot with a 3-0 record before losing four straight. However, like JSU, the Tigers are coming off a sweep at UAPB and MVSU. Devante Jackson averages 12.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Ivy Smith Jr. scores 11.7 points per outing.
 
Both games can be heard live for free on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.
 
NOTES
- Alcorn is looking to knot-up the all-time series against JSU and trails 58-59. In the first meeting this year, the Tigers finished on top 76-65 despite a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds from Crosby.
 
- The Braves are 72-42 all-time against GSU. Alcorn beat the Tigers 87-69 earlier this year as Howard netted a game-high 24 points. GSU entered the game with a 3-0 SWAC record.
 
- Alcorn head coach Montez Robinson is in his fifth season at the helm. He carries a 45-36 SWAC record
 
- The Braves have been a second half team this year. They've outscored the opposition 814-724 in the second half, including 390-340 in conference.
 
- Alcorn is 9-0 (5-0 SWAC) on the season when leading at halftime.
 
- Alcorn has four student-athletes averaging in double-figures (Howard, Andrews, Crosby and Tillery). All four shoot over 82 percent from the free throw line.
 
- Six different Braves on the roster have recorded a double-double in their career. The list includes Howard, Andrews, Tillery, Crosby, Wilson and senior Devon Brewer.
 
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