CHICAGO—The Alabama State University men's basketball team has not played since a 66-62 loss at Troy back on Nov. 25. ASU will be back in action Saturday, Dec. 8 at Chicago State University. The game is scheduled to tip off at 2:05 p.m.
The Hornets have spent the past two weeks getting ready for and taking final exams, so the past week of practices have been tough as practice sessions have been set for early in the morning, but several players would leave early to take exams.
“We have been off almost two weeks and it has been hard to get a full scale scrimmage in,” Head Coach
Lewis Jackson said. “We want to try and get into a full game mode, but it has been hard."
The Hornets' offense has been coming around in the last two games as ASU has shot over 45 percent from the field in both games, which actually had ASU outshooting both of their last two opponents.
“I feel good about some of the work we have been able to get in on our offense,” Jackson said. “The guys have picked up on some of the things we have been working on and I feel good going into the weekend.”
The Hornets (0-5) are looking for their first win of the season and CSU enters the game with a 2-8 record. Joshua Freelove is coming off a career-high 24 point performance at Troy and continues to lead ASU in scoring at 15 points per game. He is the fifth leading scorer in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
CSU has two players averaging double figures led by Jeremy Robinson at 11.1 points per game and Matt Ross at 10.8 points per game.
“We have been able to get into the Chicago area and we were able to work out a deal with Chicago State to play here this year and they will come to our place next year,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of alumni in the area and it is good to get into that area where the alumni can come out watch the game and hopefully some high school kids will come in and see the game and see what is going on at ASU.”
The game against Chicago State is the first of seven games the Hornets will play over the next 13 days. Following the game at CSU, ASU will continue the road trip with a game at Detroit Mercy on Dec. 10. Following a home game against Troy on Dec. 13, the Hornets will play at Evansville (12/15), Georgia Tech (12/17) and in the Tulane Classic on Dec. 19-20. The Hornets will face Pepperdine on the 19
th and Texas Pan American on the 20
th.
