Box Score MONTGOMERY—Ivory White had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds and teammate Philip Crawford added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead Alabama State University (11-18/8-9 SWAC) to a 63-61 win over Grambling State University (3-24/3-14 SWAC).
 
“It was a great win and we needed a win,” head coach Lewis Jackson said.  “Tonight we were able to get one and it didn't look good all the time, but it is a win and anytime you can get one it is good to get it.”
 
The Hornets led by as many as 17 points (47-30) in the first half and by 13 (54-41) after a three-pointer by White with 13:28 left in the game.
 
From there it went downhill for the Hornets as they went into survival mode.  First of all, starting point guard Jeffery Middlebrooks went down with a knee injury and was carried off the floor.  He never returned and ASU held their 13 point lead when he went down.  Then, Tramaine Butler, who finished with 13 points, had to go to the bench nursing an injury and backup point guard Josh Mason slipped on a wet floor and had to leave.  Both Mason and Butler returned for only a few minutes.
 
“Jeff is our guy and with him going down we had some guys that needed to step in and put in a lot of minutes at the point that don't normally get that much time,” Jackson added.  “But that is why you have reserve guys that have the opportunity to come in and play they have to make sure they step up and do that.  I don't know how he (Middlebrooks) is doing right now, but we will see what is going on with him and hopefully it is not too bad.”
 
After all the injuries, GSU began to make their comeback against a depleted and injured team, outscoring ASU 20-9 over the final 13 minutes to get within two after a three point basket from Xavier Rogers with 59 seconds left.

The Hornets had a chance to salt the game away at the free throw line, but missed the front end of two one-and-ones in the final minute of action.  One of those misses came with eight seconds left with the Hornets nursing the two point lead.  After the miss ASU had two fouls to give so they fouled with less than four seconds left to stop the momentum of the ball up the court.  From there Roberts took a long three at the horn which bounced off the rim giving ASU the win.
 
“I thought we came out with a lot aggression early on and set the tone for how we wanted to play but I thought the last six, seven or eight minutes of the game we played the way we normally play at the beginning of the game, not with a lot of intensity and energy and things like that,” Jackson stated.  “The effort was good for the most part but we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball down the stretch.”
 
Rogers, only averaging eight points per game, hit the Hornets for 20, including hitting six of 14 from beyond the three point line.  GSU was led by their leading scorer Quincy Roberts with 26 points, but only six of them in the second half after he had a strong first half.
 
Along with White, Crawford and Butler, Ryan Watts came off the bench to score 11 points, and all of them were in the first half.
 
ASU owned the boards, out rebounding the visitors 47-28, but again only hit nine of their 18 free throw attempts in the game.  The Hornets shot 42 percent from the field and an impressive 48 percent from the three-point line (10-21) led by White's three.
 
It was an offensive explosion in the first half with ASU going into the locker room with a 47-34 lead.  Watts came off the bench to lead ASU with 11 points, but the Hornets hit eight of their 13 three point attempts, while shooting 52 percent (16-31) from the field.  ASU also out rebounded GSU 26-12 and only committed three turnovers.
 
ASU led 23-16, but GSU came back to take a 27-25 lead on three Roberts free throws.  From there ASU went on a 17-0 run to expand the lead out to 42-27 before a Demetri Wheeler free throw stopped the run.
 
GSU was able to stay in the game behind 20 first-half points from Roberts.  The Tigers also had six plays in the opening half that resulted in three points for them.  They were also able to get to the free throw line 13 times and hit 10 of those.
 
ASU will host Jackson State University Saturday, March 3 at 5 p.m.  It is the final regular season game of the season and will be senior day as ASU will honor their senior class.