March 14, 2008

Final Stats

Birmigham, AL - Alabama State's spectacular SWAC season came to an end late Friday night as Jackson State outlasted the Hornets 77-72 in overtime. ASU will now advance to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), where they'll face teams from some of the nation's top conferences.

Although it wasn't a football game, the contest featured every other characteristic of an HBCU Classic, including 12 ties, 11 lead changes and several great plays that fans, players and media alike will never forget.

The Hornets made a furious comeback late in the second half. Trailing by as much as 11, ASU used a 9-1 run - including back-to-back long jump shots by Brandon Brooks - to make the score 59-56.

JSU's Grant Maxey's tip-in pushed the lead back to five before Richard Lott's basket cut it back again. Then, Andrew Hayles - who has hit big shot after big shot this season - buried a three-pointer to tie the score with less than two minutes left.

ASU's defense held as Brandon Gordon came up with a steal, and the Hornets came the other way. With the shot clock running down, freshman Jamarr Sanders dribbled left across the key and released a rainbow jumper that swished the nets and gave ASU its first lead since the opening minute of the second half.

That's when JSU turned to Maxey, who drilled a long jump shot to tie it up again. The Hornets had a final possession, but a blocked shot led to overtime.

ASU was outscored 14-9 in the extra period and their NCAA tournament hopes were dashed. Still, Hornets' head coach said his team still has plenty to play for.

"The NIT bid is a great opportunity," Jackson said. "Every year, there are some very good teams in the NIT, and it's a chance for us to continue to build our program, get more experience for our young players and reward our guys for a tremendous season. I am very proud of how hard they have worked."

Richard Lott led ASU with 14 points, while Andrew Hayles had 13. Brandon Gordon scored 11.

While the season still isn't over, the prospects for next year are bright. Sanders showed signs of what was to come, as did fellow-freshman Roland Fitch who had 9 crucial points in the semifinal.

The Hornets will be notified of their NIT match-up late Sunday night. The first round will be played on March 18 and 19.