NEW ORLEANS — Alabama State (1-10) came from 15 points down to Pepperdine (8-4) in the second half, but could not keep the momentum in a 66-58 loss to the Waves in their first game of the Tulane Classic.
Pepperdine had their largest lead of the game at 42-27 with 15:56 left in the game. From there the Hornets would start their comeback and after two free throws from
Phillip Crawford with 5:38 left in the game, the Hornets only trailed 50-44.
ASU allowed an old problem to surface as ASU missed a shot and had a turnover on their next two possessions or they could have cut into the lead even more.
Pepperdine pushed the lead back out to 56-44 with 3:03 left, but again, the Hornets would fight back and cut the lead to six (58-52) once again after a Crawford basket with 1:13 left but that would be as close as they could get.
“Tonight we played hard and we have a nip and tuck ballgame and we turn it over three or four consecutive times,” Head Coach
Lewis Jackson said. “They were able to convert and we just have to get better and continue to move forward. Tonight we did a good job of getting into our offense and did some nice things.”
“We fouled way too much and let them get to the free throw line and they had some guys in double figures that got most of their points at the free throw line because we did not do a good job of playing defense.”
Joshua Freelove led the Hornets with 14 points and Crawford added 12. For the third consecutive game, Crawford was limited due to foul problems as he only played 14 minutes in tonight's contest. Freelove led the Hornets with five rebounds and
Jamel Waters had five steals.
ASU finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field, 38 percent from beyond the three point line and had their best game of the season at the free throw line hitting 16 of their 22 attempts (73 percent). ASU turned the ball over 18 times in the game.
Pepperdine had four players reach double digits. Stacy Davis, Jett Raines and Lorne Jackson all had 11 points each and Jordan Baker had 10.
The Waves out rebounded ASU 32-21 with Raines grabbing a game-high eight and finished the game shooting 54 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three point line and hit 16 of 21 at the free throw line for 77 percent.
Pepperdine came out and hit their first four shots of the game on their way to a 30-21 halftime lead. The Waves had a balanced attack as nine of the 10 players that played in the opening half scored and Stacy Davis' six points led the way.
Pepperdine shot 63 percent from the floor in the first half and also out rebounded ASU 14-10.
The Hornets only shot 33 percent from the floor as they had trouble against Pepperdine's zone defense. Freelove led the way with nine first-half points.
“We have to continue to work,” Jackson said. “We are a work in process with 10 new players. We have one more game before the break and hopefully we will be looking on the upside and continue to improve on the things we are not doing well.
ASU will play again tomorrow in the Classic when they will face Texas Pan American at 4 p.m.
