LORMAN, Miss. – In a game in which the Alcorn State University men’s basketball program never trailed and led by double-figures for most of the second half, the Braves shot down Grambling State 87-69 Monday at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
The Braves (6-9, 2-2 SWAC) shot 13-for-31 (.419) from long distance. They defeated a GSU (9-8, 3-1 SWAC) team that shot 27-for-53 (.509) from the field.
Senior Maurice Howard stayed hot with a game-high 24 points. He neared a double-double with a season-high eight assists. Howard was 8-of-13 from the field, 4-of-7 from long-range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Howard was one of four Braves in double-figures. Senior Deshaw Andrews netted 18 points. Junior Troymain Crosby finished with 16 points and seven points, and senior Corey Tillery registered 11 points and matched his career-high with eight rebounds.
The Tigers entered the night as the only remaining undefeated team in the conference. Cameron Christon submitted 17 points and nine rebounds.
Alcorn got off to a quick 8-0 lead after a pair of early threes by Andrews. After the Tigers responded with the next eight points to tie it 8-8, the Braves used a lay-up by freshman Dominic Brewton and a three by Howard to go back in front 16-11 at the 12:51 mark.
A lay-up by Crosby kept Alcorn ahead 25-20 with 6:55 left. A three by Andrews on the team’s final possession gave them a 39-31 cushion at the intermission.
The Braves were still ahead 44-36 when Crosby converted a fast-break lay-up, Tillery hit a three and Howard scored on a jumper to extend the edge to 51-36 with 16:15 to go. From that point on, Alcorn’s lead never dipped below 12.
The Braves were ahead 58-46 when they went on an 8-0 spurt, capped by a pair of free throws by Crosby to make it a 66-46 game with 10:27 remaining. Alcorn’s largest lead, 73-49, came on a three by Tillery at the 6:24 mark.
Alcorn kept it a 20-point game, 84-64, on a pair of free throws by Howard with 2:19 left.
The Braves will hit the road Saturday when the make the short trip north to Mississippi Valley State at 4 p.m. Saturday. Alcorn is 68-38 all-time against MVSU and 7-3 under head coach Montez Robinson.
Courtesy: Alcorn State Athletics
