NACOGDOCHES, Texas—The Alabama State University men's basketball team has arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas, making final preparations for their two games in the E-Tech Lumberjack Classic, which is hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University.
 
ASU will open the Classic against the host team on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 4:15 p.m.  ASU will face their second opponent in the Classic on Sunday, Dec. 11, when they face Texas Wesleyan University.
 
The Classic gives the Hornets an opportunity to get in some early work on short notice, which will be good practice when ASU plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship at the end of the season.
 
"It is an opportunity to see how our guys will respond early on playing consecutive days and it is one I think we will be ok if we can stay injury free,” head coach Lewis Jackson said.  “We are excited about being out here and it is a good event and we want to come out and try to improve on how we played in the last game.”
 
SFA has a 3-3 record entering tomorrow's game, dropping a 55-42 game at  number 25 25 Texas A&M.  The Hornets are coming off their first win of the season (1-5), a 60-57 win at Florida International, which saw the Hornets turn it on down the stretch on the offensive end of the court.
 
“I think the guys are beginning to realize, or at least I hope they are that if we play as a team it makes the game a lot easier,” Jackson stated.  “It is better than individuals going out from long range and try to make things happen, and that is when we tend to struggle and we have droughts where we don't score.  So hopefully we can continue from the last four or five minutes of the FIU game into our play here tomorrow.”
 
The Hornets will follow tomorrow's game with their second game of the Classic against Texas Wesleyan on Sunday at 2 p.m.