LORMAN, Miss. – Alcorn welcomes Jackson State to Davey L. Whitney Complex on Saturday, Feb. 21, as the Braves look to avenge an early season loss to the visiting Tigers in a much-anticipated Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Basketball contest in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Earlier this year to begin SWAC play for both teams, the Tigers held on for an 89-86 victory at home against the Braves in Jackson.
 
What: Game Twenty-Six
Who: Alcorn (6-19, 5-8 SWAC) vs. Jackson State (9-17, 8-5 SWAC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m. CST
Where: Lorman, Miss. – Davey L. Whitney Complex (7,000)
 
Watch: SWAC TV
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Live Stats: Click Here
Listen Live: WPRL 91.7 FM
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Alcorn is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
▪ Jackson State is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Alcorn Men's Basketball this season by following the Braves social media platforms. You can follow @BravesSports on X/Twitter and @AlcornSports on Instagram.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Alcorn is 3-3 at home on the year, including a come-from-behind win over SWAC leader Bethune-Cookman a week ago.
▪ The Braves are scoring at 66.9 points per game, while opponents pour in an average of 82.4 points per contest.
▪ Alcorn is shooting 42.8 percent from the floor as a squad, adding a 35.2 percent clip from three-point territory.
▪ Opponents are outrebounding the Braves by almost eight boards per contest (-7.6).
▪ Five different players have scored 200 or more points on the year – Shane Lancaster (288), Tycen McDaniels (253), Jameel Morris (239), Nick Woodard (217) and Davian Williams (216).
▪ Morris has handed out a team-high 78 assists from his point guard position, as well as collecting a team-most 51 steals.
▪ McDaniels provides the blocked shots with 28 to top the squad.
▪ Lancaster has connected on four or more three-pointers in four contests this season.
▪ Woodard has reached double-figure scoring in five of his last seven outings.
▪ Failing to hit a three-pointer against FAMU, Williams had his streak of nine consecutive games with a long range shot halted.
 
RECAPPING ALCORN'S LAST GAME (vs. Florida A&M)
Five Alcorn players touched double figures scoring Monday night, but it was not enough as visiting Florida A&M held on for an 86-78 win in a SWAC Men's Basketball contest at Davey L. Whitney Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Florida A&M led wire-to-wire, building as much as a 26-point lead just over midway through the second half. Alcorn was denied an opportunity at a third successive win despite cutting the lead to single digits with under a minute remaining. The Braves finished the visit from the Florida teams at 1-1 overall after defeating SWAC-leading Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.
 
• Five different players scored double-digits – Jameel Morris (15), Nick Woodard (14), Shane Lancaster (13), Tycen McDaniels (11) and Bryson Calamese (10).
• Calamese was a perfect 6 of 6 at the charity stripe in the contest.
• Morris handed out a team-high seven assists, while shooting at a blistering 6-for-7 touch from the field – his only miss being a three-pointer. He was also 3 of 3 at the foul line.
• Davian Williams provided three steals and four defensive rebounds on the night.
• McDaniels also supplied two blocked shots on defense.
• Under the direction of first-year head coach Charlie Ward, Florida A&M knocked down six first half three-pointers, including two in transition.
• Alcorn fell behind 11-5 after a pair of Jaquan Sanders free throws, only to trim the lead with a 4-0 run kicked off by an Omari Hamilton layup off the glass.
• The Rattlers embarked upon a 7-0 run to increase their lead to 18-9 on the strength of a Sanders three-pointer, in addition to a Kaleb Washinton alley-oop from Antonio Baker.
• Once again the Braves fought back, this time using a 10-2 run to get within 20-19, as it was Woodard's putback off the glass joined by a McDaniels up-and-under that sparked the scoring streak for the Purple and Gold.
• The Rattlers would take a 39-29 lead into the half.
• FAMU began the second half on a 16-4 run, allowing the visitors a 55-33 advantage.
• The Braves used two Lancaster three-pointers in the second half to chip away at the lead.
• Alcorn shot 10 of 13 at the foul line in the final 20 minutes, while FAMU shot just 16-for-23 at the charity stripe across that span.
• A Washington driving dunk off an Alcorn turnover allowed the Rattlers a 76-51 edge with 2:20 remaining.
• Morris dropped in five-straight points and Lancaster added a three-pointer to bring the Braves to within 80-72 with under a minute to play.
• Despite Alcorn getting several open layups down the stretch, it would be the Rattlers holding back the hosts with free throws down the stretch, knocking down 8 of 10 in the final minute of the contest, respectfully.
• Morris had 13 of his 15 points on the night in the second half alone, while teammate Lancaster 10 of his 13 in that span.
• Alcorn shot 51.4 percent in the second half, adding an 87 percent touch at the free throw line for the game.
• FAMU was led in scoring by five players in double figures – Sanders (17), Washington (15), Tyler Shirley (13), Jordan Chatman (12) and Antonio Baker (11).
 
ALCORN VS. JACKSON STATE SERIES
▪ Jackson State has claimed the last three meetings consecutively against Alcorn.
▪ The Braves last victory over JSU came courtesy an 87-73 win at home on Feb. 24, 2024.
▪ Prior to that, the last home win for the Purple and Gold over their in-state opponent was a 61-60 contest on Feb. 19, 2022.
▪ The 2021-22 season was also the last time Alcorn swept JSU in a season.
 
SCOUTING JACKSON STATE
▪ Jackson State has won their last two contests entering the weekend, as the Tigers took down Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman last weekend at home.
▪ The Tigers are just 4-12 away from home this season, but did manage to win one of their last two away, including a victory at Mississippi Valley State two weeks ago.
▪ JSU is being outscored by an average of 15.3 points per game from its opponents, while scoring at a 70.2 points per game clip.
▪ Head Coach Mo Williams has two sons on the bench with his son KyDarrius serving as an assistant coach, while another of his sons – Mike – comes in as a highly-touted recruit from Germantown High School.
▪ JSU has had players post six double-doubles this season, including four in the last two contests. Daeshun Ruffin and Dionjahe Thomas have recorded a double-double in each of the last two games, with Daeshun Ruffin recording one in each of the last three games.
▪ Ruffin leads the Tigers in scoring with 542 points (23.6 ppg), while he also leads the team in assists (131) and steals (38).
 
UP NEXT
Alcorn travels to the "Lone Star State" for a road swing in the SWAC, as the Braves first take on Texas Southern (February 26) before traveling to Prairie View A&M (February 28).
 
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