On to the Next One

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. – Jameel Morris scored 22 points and Tycen McDaniels added 22 of his own as No. 11 seeded Alcorn pulled away from 10th-seeded Alabama State 77-65 on Monday afternoon in the opening round of the Pepsi Southwestern Athletic Conference presented by Buick at The Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia.
 
Alcorn (10-22) used a dominant second-half surge to advance.
 
The Braves led by just one at halftime, 32-31, before outscoring the Hornets 45-34 in the second half to claim the victory and punch their ticket to the next round against No. 8 seed Prairie View A&M.
 
Jameel Morris, a junior guard from Willingboro, New Jersey, was relentless in the closing minutes, finishing 7-of-15 from the field with eight rebounds, two steals and three assists. He went 8-of-10 from the free throw line and scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half as Alcorn steadily extended its lead. Morris was particularly lethal in the final two minutes, converting back-to-back baskets and a pair of free throws to put the game out of reach.
 
The lead changed hands six times on the afternoon before the Braves took control for good midway through the second half. McDaniels' driving layup at the 15:53 mark of the second half tied the contest at 39, and from there the Braves went on a decisive 12-2 run to build a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Additionally for the Purple and Gold, Tycen McDaniels, returning to his home state as a native of Columbus, Georgia, was a force on both ends of the floor, going 6-of-12 from the field with 10-of-13 shooting from the charity stripe. He pulled down nine rebounds, handed out two assists and recorded four steals and three blocks in 39 minutes of action.
 
"This win means everything to this program and to these guys," Alcorn Head Coach Jake Morton said afterwards. "We talked all weekend about competing at a high level and finishing strong, and they came out and executed the game plan. I'm incredibly proud of how they responded in the second half."
 
Alabama State led by as many as 11 points in the first half, with Tyler Mason's tip-in at the 10:11 mark making it 19-8. But Alcorn refused to fold, going on an 8-0 run late in the first half to trail just 29-32 entering the break.
 
Omari Hamilton chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds for the Braves, while Nick Woodard added 12 points on the strength of a 3-of-5 shooting touch, connecting on a pair of three-pointers. Davian Williams provided a spark as well with eight points off the bench.
 
Alcorn built its biggest lead at 13 points with just over two minutes remaining in the game after Morris converted a fast-break layup following a Shane Lancaster steal.
 
Alabama State's Jerquarius Stanback led all Hornets scorers with 16 points and hauled in 12 rebounds, while Micah Simpson added 15 points and Tyler Mason contributed 12 off the bench for the Hornets, who finish the season 10-22 overall.
 
The Hornets struggled from the field, connecting on just 35.9 percent of their shots and going a woeful 6-of-28 from beyond the arc.
 
Turnovers proved to be a decisive factor. Alabama State committed 16 turnovers compared to just 10 for Alcorn, and the Braves converted those miscues into 14 points off turnovers. Alcorn also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Hornets 36-30 in the lane.
 
"Advancing in this tournament is what we set out to do, and now we have to get ready for the next challenge in facing a strong Prairie View A&M side," Morton added. "We've been building toward this moment all season, and I believe in this group. We're not done yet."
 
Alcorn faces No. 8 seed Prairie View A&M on Tuesday, March 10, at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) back at The Gateway Center. The game will be streamed live via ESPN+.
 
Follow Alcorn State Sports on Twitter (@BravesSports) for all the latest news and updates. Follow us on Instagram (@AlcornSports) and YouTube (Braves Sports Network) for even further behind-the-scenes action across all Braves Athletics.