Garland, Tx. –Alabama State defeated Grambling State 65-48 at the Special Events Center in the 2011 Farmers Insurance Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament Championship. The victory gave Lewis Jackson his second conference tournament crown in his six years as head coach and the school’s fourth.
ASU led 10-4 at the 15 minute mark of the first half. GSU responded with a pair of layups each from Justin Patton and Donald Qualls tying the game at 10 apiece. Qualls scored 35 points the night prior in the semi-finals against Jackson State. He finished with only 12 points on the night to lead Grambling.
Grambling’s first lead came off of a Peter Robinson jump hook to make the score 22-20, with just under seven minutes to play before halftime. Four free throws later from Qualls and all of a sudden GSU led 26-20. The biggest deficit the hornets would see all tournament long.
A jump-shot by Tramaine Butler who scored 13 points, then a steal and a layup by Ivory White, cut Grambling’s lead down to two points 26-24 with 4:05 left in the first half. Kenderek Washington made a baseline jumper out of the last media timeout making the score 28-26 and for the first time all week, ASU trailed at the half.
Tremayne Moorer locked up the tournament’s MVP scoring 14 points along with eight rebounds. K.D. Washington was selected to the all-tournament team. He scored eight points and pulled down eight rebounds. Tramaine Butler finished with 13 points and six boards for ASU.
Alabama State came out of halftime on a 14-2 run taking a commanding 40-30 lead. In fact, ASU outscored GSU 30-6 through the first 17 minutes of the second half. The Hornets made four three pointers during that run and never looked back. ASU’s biggest lead was by 22 points with 5:31 left.
Alabama State will await its fate Sunday night for the NCAA Tournament selection process.
Congratulations Hornets
Lewis Jackson and staff
We Love You
Congrats. Alabama State University