HOUSTON, Texas—Alabama State ran into a hot-shooting Texas Southern team as they fell 97-65 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action.
TSU shot 52 percent from the field (31-60), but it was beyond the three-point line where they did most of their damage. They hit 16 three's while shooting 57 percent from the three point line and they also hit 19 of their 24 free throws.
Omar Strong led TSU with 27 points and hit five threes, while Lawrence Danner-Johnson added 20 points and hit six threes. Ray Penn scored 19, Fred Sturdivant scored 13 and Aaron Clayborn added 11 as all five starters hit double digits.
Sturdivant completed a double-double with a game-high 14 rebounds, as TSU out rebounded ASU 42-34.
“We talked about we knew they were going to play through their guards and you can't go out to the three point line and think you are going to take away the three point shot because they are going to shoot the ball away from the basket,” Head Coach
Lewis Jackson said. “Tonight we did not do a good job of getting out to the shooters to take away those long shots and they shot it well.”
ASU was led in scoring by
Phillip Crawford with 18 points before fouling out with over three minutes left. Joshua Freelove scored 14 as the Hornets only shot 35 percent as a team and only hit four of their 20 three point attempts. They shot their free throws better hitting 13 out of 15 (87 percent).
Crawford recorded his first double-double of the season leading the Hornets with 12 rebounds.
Jamel Waters had a solid all-around game, scoring eight points, recording a team-high six assists and picking up a game-high four steals, all without turning the ball over.
ASU trailed by 10 at halftime but the home-standing Tigers outscored the Hornets 16-5 to open the second half to put the game away.
“We got it down to 10 going into the half and we said ok we have a ball game,” Jackson said. “We knew the first five minutes of the second half would set the tone of how we wanted to play and when you continue to have bad offense it translates into poor defense. Our inefficiency on offense turned into good shots for them.”
TSU set the tone for the game hitting eight of their 16 three-point attempts in the first half. They shot 50 percent (17-34) from the field led by Johnson-Danner's 14 and Strong's 10 as they went into the locker room with a 45-35 lead.
ASU only shot 35 percent (12-34) from the field but converted nine of their 10 free throw attempts to stay within striking distance.
Shawntez Patterson led the way with nine and Crawford added eight.
The Hornets fall to 6-16 overall and 4-5 in conference action while TSU moves to 8-14 overall and 7-2 in the conference. ASU is back home for their next three games starting with a Saturday, Feb. 2 game with Arkansas-Pine Bluff scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
