Box Score

MONTGOMERY—Ivory White scored 21 points, Philip Crawford 17 and Ryan Watts 15 to lead Alabama State University (8-13/5-4 SWAC) to a 66-59 overtime win over Texas Southern University (7-14/6-3 SWAC) and in the process stop a three-game losing streak.  The victory came in front of a national ESPNU television audience.
 
It was not easy as the Hornets trailed by 18 points (48-30) after a Fred Sturdivant basket with 9:10 left in the game.
 
From there the Hornets went on a 24-6 run over the final nine minutes to send the game into overtime where the Hornets outscored the visitors 14-seven to complete the comeback win.  During the run, ASU hit nine of their 15 field goal attempts (60%), including two three's, and four free throws.
 
Even though the Hornets were making their run, they still trailed by five (52-47) with 26 seconds left in the game.  Watts was able to knock down a three to cut it to 52-50.  After Sturdivant hit two free throws for TSU with 12 seconds left, ASU trailed 54-50.  ASU got the ball down the court quickly where White was able to score from the paint with five seconds left to cut the lead to 54-52.
 
After an ASU time out, Watts was able to knock the ball free on the inbounds pass which White picked up to lay in with 2.7 seconds left to even the game at 54.  A long heave by TSU was off mark and on to over time the two teams went.
 
In overtime the Hornets kept their hot shooting streak hitting their first four shots of the overtime period.  Watts, Stephawn Brown, White and Crawford all scored as the Hornets led 62-55 with 1:09 left.
 
Dexter Ellington gave the Tigers some hope with a long three with 55 seconds left to cut the lead to 62-58, but two free throws from Jeff Middlebrooks and two from Watts iced the win for ASU.
 
White's 21 points was a career-high for the senior and Watts' 15 was also his career-high.  The Hornets out rebounded the taller Tigers 47-33 with White and Brown leading the way with nine rebounds each.  White also had a game-high four steals.  Middlebrooks had a game-high nine assists compared to only one turnover.
 
Sturdivant led TSU with 16 points and Patrick Onwenu came off the bench to score 11.  Ellington also hit double-digits with 10 points.
 
“It was just a great job by Ivory, fighting (through cramps) and working hard, but it was a great team victory,” head coach Lewis Jackson said.  “I'm extremely proud of these guys.  We talked about the things we can do with this team and how versatile we can be and the guys stepped up tonight.”
 
“Ivory is a senior and he stepped up and played the way a senior should play.  We didn't have anything from Philip in the first half and I don't know what his numbers were but in the second half he came out and he was aggressive on offense and also trying to block shots on the defensive end.”
 
ASU was able to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the first half behind Tramaine Butler's steal and layup and a three from White, but ASU would not score again for the next 4:49 as TSU would score nine unanswered points, with seven consecutive from Onwenu off the bench.
 
ASU would get as close as 13-11 on the basket from Jonathan Jefferson with 9:38 left in the first half, but would again go on a drought as TSU scored 12 consecutive points to go up 25-11 with 6:11 left.
 
TSU led 28-16 at half shooting 48 percent from the field while holding ASU to 28 percent shooting.  The Hornets out rebounded TSU 20-17, but 11 turnovers hurt any chances of the Hornets getting any closer.
 
“We just have to take this momentum and build on it,” Jackson stated.  “We need to come out and work on our execution and doing the things that will allow us to be in position to win.  Tonight we finished the ball game where we had been turning the ball over and missing free throws, but tonight the guys finished.”
 
ASU will be on the road for its next three games beginning with a 5 p.m. tip off at league-leading Mississippi Valley State Sat. Feb 4 in Itta Bena, Miss.