Final Boxscore

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama State University men's basketball team escaped a determined University of West Alabama squad, 62-59, at the ASU Acadome Monday night.

ASU (3-8) playing in its final non-conference tilt of the season did not secure its eighth consecutive home win until Menji Mundadi converted a layup with just three seconds remaining in the game.

West Alabama (8-5), an NCAA Division II member, led for much of the first half and trailed by a single point in the closing moments.

Mundadi continued to be the Hornets top offensive performer finishing with 19 points including five three-pointers. Tramayne Moorer and Tramaine Butler each finished with 15 points for ASU. Moorer nearly tallied his second double-double of the year after pulling down nine rebounds.

Brandon Hampton led the UWA attack with 15 points and eight rebounds. Jason Swanson chipped in 10 points for the Tigers.

The Hornets trailed for much of the opening half as an aggressive UWA squad controlled the play on both ends. The Tigers out-rebounded ASU, 17-15, and forced six turnovers during the opening period.

A three-pointer by Moorer at the 17:51 mark gave the Hornets a brief lead before the Tigers charged in front with a 10-2 run. UWA built as much as a six-point advantage midway through the period. ASU battled back and knotted the score at 15 following a layup by Sekani Milligen with 8:29 on the clock.

Over the next two minutes the Tigers pushed back in front by five points and maintained an advantage over the Hornets until the closing minute of the half. Mundadi drilled back-to-back three pointers during a late ASU surge that sent the home team into the halftime break with a 31-28 lead.

ASU extended its advantage to seven points early in the second half after two straight baskets from Moorer. The Tigers continued to battle and chip away at the Hornets margin eventually regaining the lead, 48-47, with just less than eight minutes left in the game.

Alabama State quickly retook the lead on a basket by Mundadi and held a slight advantage until a pair of UWA scores evened the count at 55-55 with just 2:12 remaining.

Butler knocked down a short jumper and Mundadi nailed his fifth trey of the game to put ASU back ahead by five with a minute left to play. However, the Tigers clawed back to within one with 9.9 showing on the clock setting up the furious finish.

Following a timeout, Mundadi collected a long pass along the sideline and raced ahead of the UWA defense for the game securing basket. West Alabama's game-tying half court heave at the buzzer hit the backboard and the front of the rim before falling harmlessly away.

The Hornets now turn their attention to Southwestern Athletic Conference play opening league action on the road at Grambling (Jan. 4) and Jackson State (Jan. 6).