March 19, 2008
Photogallery
Tempe, Az -
Alabama State head coach Lewis Jackson had no doubt his team was capable of playing with their NIT first round opponent Arizona State, who won 9 games in one of the nation's best conferences (the PAC-10) and was one of the teams national pundits deemed "snubbed" by the NCAA selection committee.
Jackson felt his squad - already winners of 20 games and the SWAC regular season title- were definitely deserving of their first NIT bid in 25 years. In his eyes, the game presented an opportunity for the Hornets to show what they could do in a nationally-televised game against a traditional powerhouse.
And he was right, at least for the second half, when the Hornets outscored Arizona State 32-25. -Unfortunately, Alabama State dug too big of a first-hole and lost 64-53.
"We just couldn't get anything to fall in the first half," Jackson said. "We got some good looks, but we couldn't knock down a basket. Give Arizona State credit, they are a very good basketball team, but whether we were a bit too excited or what...we put ourselves in a difficult situation."
The Hornets were behind 24-5 before they seemed to find their rhythm. Deshean Porchea and Brandon Brooks hit back-to-back threes to pull ASU within 13. However, Ty Abbott's fifth first-half three pointer and Eric Boateng's put back just before half pushed the lead back to 18.
Alabama State's deficit grew to 21 before Rashad Provitt drilled back-to-back three-pointers igniting a run. Roland Fitch got free inside for a basket, Andrew Hayles connected on a long three pointer, Brandon Brooks hit three free throws after being fouled and the Hornets were within 11.
Arizona State answered with a couple of free throws, but the Hornets came right back as Brooks followed his own miss with a spectacular one-handed slam dunk off the rebound that stunned the home crowd.
Still, there simply wasn't enough time for the Alabama State to come all the way back, and the Sun Devils held on for the win.
"This team has a lot to be proud of," Jackson said. "We accomplished several of our goals this season, but we came up a bit short on a couple of others. Now, we'll head back to campus, take care of our academics and begin to work toward next season."
On his way off the court after the loss, Jackson thanked the ASU cheerleaders and greeted each member of the Mighty Marching Hornets' pep band who also traveled across country on less than a day's notice.
"The band and the cheerleaders really gave us a big boost tonight," Jackson said. "I want to thank everyone at ASU who helped make that happen. It was great for the guys to hear them blasting that "ole Bama State Spirit" as they ran onto the court. They were right behind us the entire night."
The Hornets end the season 20-11, their first 20-win season since 2001. With a solid core of returning players - including SWAC player of the year Hayles, 2nd team All-SWAC Brooks, and freshmen Fitch and Jamarr Sanders - the future is bright for the Alabama State basketball program, Jackson said.
"We're definitely progressed towards where we want to be," Jackson said. "Now we need to build on what we accomplished this season and continue to work to be better."
NOTES: Brooks' second-half dunk earned number two on the top 10 highlights on ESPN "SportsCenter"...Tuesday's game was the final game for Hornet seniors Richard Lott, Brandon Gordon, Brandon Jones and Joel Bosh...The Mighty Marching Hornets pep band definitely made the most of their trip. Several times, the crowd at Wells Fargo Arena gave the band huge ovations after their performances during time outs and halftime.
