#MondayMania: Braves Host Alabama State to the Whitney

LORMAN, Miss. – Coming off their first Southwestern Athletic Conference win of the season Saturday evening, Alcorn Men's Basketball returns to the Davey L. Whitney Complex on Monday, Jan. 9, when the Braves play host to league opponent Alabama State at 4 p.m.
 
What: Game Fifteen
Who: Alcorn (4-10, 1-1 SWAC) vs. Alabama State (4-12, 2-1 SWAC)
When: Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. CT
Where: Lorman, Miss. – Davey L. Whitney Complex (7,000)
 
Watch: Alcorn All-Access
Listen: WPRL 91.7 FM (PXP – Charles Edmond)
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Stats: Click Here
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Alcorn Men's Basketball this year by following the Braves social media platforms. You can follow @Alcorn_St_MBB on Instagram and @BravesSports on Twitter.

SERIES VS. ALABAMA STATE
Alcorn trails the all-time series against the Alabama State Hornets by a count of 47-42, in a series that dates back to the 1973-74 season under legendary head coach Davey L. Whitney. The Braves have won the last six against the Hornets, including a thrilling 74-60 overtime contest in Lorman that began the current winning streak back in 2019.
 
LAST TIME OUT BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES
The Alcorn State University Braves men's basketball team capped off an impressive three-game road stint when they defeated the Alabama State University Hornets, 70-60. The win puts the Braves on a three-game winning streak on the road. Paul King put in 15 points off the bench to lead the Braves in scoring. Lenell Henry added 14 points along with four assists. Oddyst Walker contributed 13 points and Keondre Montgomery had 12 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ALCORN
Keondre Montgomery was one of five Braves in double-figures scoring, as Alcorn took down Alabama A&M by a score of 89-76, at the Davey L. Whitney Complex. Alcorn led 45-31 at the half behind an intense 45.5 percent first half shooting mark from long range – as well as a searing Alcorn defensive press. After falling behind early-on, Alcorn used the three-ball from Keondre Montgomery, as well as driving shots in the paint from Byron Joshua to gain a 10-9 lead with 15:11 remaining in the opening half.
 
Alabama A&M stayed close on the strength of Garrett Hicks at the guard position, as the Bulldogs trailed 16-15 following his fast break layup with 11:51 showing on the clock. Jeremiah Kendall would score all four points during a 4-0 Alcorn run to push the Braves' lead out to 22-15, before the Bulldogs' Olisa Blaise Akonobi and Dailin Smith combined to bring the visitors to within 24-23 moments later. With the Purple and Gold holding a 26-25 edge, Alcorn sprinted to a 16-2 run on the strength of Montgomery and Dominic Brewton over the course of the next four minutes. Following Montgomery's three-pointer from the top of the key, the Braves led 42-27 with 1:40 left in the half.
 
The Braves picked up right where they left off to start the second half, using Dekedran Thorn and Montgomery – combined with the physical play of Dontrell McQuarter in the paint, to collect their largest lead of the game at 61-33 less than five minutes into the second period. Alabama A&M slowly worked itself back into the game as Xavier Brewer poured in five points off the bench, mixed with the second half play of Omari Peek as a reserve (scoring 11 points for his side in the half), to cut the lead for the Braves at 79-70 following Brewer's free throw with 3:01 remaining in the game. But the Purple and Gold would close the game with Brewton scoring four of his 21 points on the evening over the last two minutes to earn the Braves' first conference win of the season – and ending the Bulldogs unbeaten run in league play as well.
 
Overall, the Braves shot 45.2 percent from the field, in addition to 46.7 percent from the three-point line. Alcorn controlled the boards with a 32-23 edge in rebounding, while the Alabama A&M bench outscored the Braves, 42-24. Alcorn used a 24-point night from Montgomery, as he shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, adding three rebounds and three blocks. Brewton poured in 21 points and collected four rebounds with his three assists. Also reaching double-figures scoring was Thorn (13), Kendall (12) and Joshua (12). Joshua added four assists, while Kendall supplied eight rebounds.
 
CATCH THE BRAVES LIVE AT THE WHITNEY IN 2023
Season Tickets for 2022-23 Alcorn Men's Basketball at the Davey L. Whitney Health and Physical Education Complex are now available for purchase at Alcornsports.MyImpactTickets.com/basketball. Season tickets for the home SWAC competitions are $76.25, while single-game admission is $12.65 in advance.

UP NEXT
It's a Texas road trip for the Braves, as Alcorn begins consecutive games in the "Lone Star State" against Texas Southern on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 3 p.m. Two days later, the Purple and Gold will travel to Prairie View A&M for a Monday night affair with the Panthers in a game to be televised on ESPNU at 8 p.m.
 
Follow Alcorn State Men's Basketball on Twitter (@Alcorn_St_MBB) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Alcorn State Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BravesSports), Instagram (@AlcornSports) and YouTube (Alcorn State Sports).