MONTGOMERY—After opening the 2012-13 season on the road for three games, the Alabama State University men's basketball team will open the home portion of the season when they host Savannah State University on Friday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.
 
The Hornets (0-3) opened the season against a Middle Tennessee Team that is receiving votes in the preseason poll, the 10^th ranked Florida Gators and a Central Florida team that won 22 games last season.
 
“It was a difficult road trip but it was one where I think we learned some things like how hard you have to work in practice and how to prepare both mentally and physically,” Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.
 
The Hornets have struggled scoring so far in the first three games, but Joshua Freelove has been a consistent scorer for ASU.  He has scored in double digits all three games and enters the contest leading ASU averaging 11.3 points per game.  Sophomore Luther Page averages six points per game, but leads ASU in rebounding averaging 4.7 per game.
 
Freshman Bobby Brown struggled against Central Florida, but he is still second on the team in scoring averaging nine points per game.
 
Savannah State (2-1) comes into Montgomery fresh off a MEAC Championship season that sees all five starters back for the 2012-13 campaign.  The Tigers have also played Middle Tennessee State.  They hosted the Blue Raiders and fell in a close one, 58-55.
 
This will be Savannah State's first road game of the season, as their first three games all came at home.
 
Rashad Hassan leads SSU in scoring at 14.7 points per game.  Preston Blackman is not far behind at 12.7.  Jyles Smith is the team's leading rebounder at 7.7 per game.
 
“It is good to get on familiar turf knowing we are back home,” Jackson said.  “That does not change the fact we have to execute and we have to play with some toughness physically and we have to be tough mentally.  But we are looking forward to being off the road and playing at home.”