Game Notes
The Alabama State University men's basketball team has arrived in New Orleans for the Tulane Westin Holiday Classic. ASU will open tournament play against the host team Tulane. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday Dec. 21. The game was originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. tip and then moved to a noon tip, before another reschedule for the mentioned time.
ASU enters the game with a 4-3 record and is coming off a 59-52 win over Western Illinois. The win was ASU's fourth in its past five games.
Jamel Waters leads ASU with a 15.9 points per game average and also has a team-high 41 assists and 12 steals.
DeMarcus Robinson is scoring at a 13.1 points per game clip. After only scoring 12 points in the team's first two games, the junior has heated up scoring in double digits five consecutive games and is averaging 16 points per game during the run.
Luther Page continues be the team's leading rebounder averaging 5.7 per game and
Maurice Strong is just behind at 4.7 per game.
Bobby Brown continues to add some bench strength averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per outing.
Tulane enters their tournament with a 5-6 record, but will supply plenty of problems for the Hornets. They average over 70 points per game and have three players in double digits.
Louis Dabney is the Green Wave's leading scorer at 20 points per game. Jonathan Stark is averaging 17.8 and Jay Hook 16.8. Tulane is shooting 43 percent from the field, 34 percent from beyond the three point line and over 70 percent at the free throw line.
Tre Drye is the team's leading rebounder averaging 7.3 per game and Hook is not far behind at 6.7. The Green Wave have four players in double digits in assists with Stark's 27 leading the way.
"We are going to have to get out and guard them," Head Coach
Lewis Jackson said. "They run a lot of high picks and when they come off of them they are coming off them shooting. We know they are going to score points because their top three scorers can score. We just have to get out play good defense and make it hard on them."
Tulane's opponents have been able to score some points as the opposition is averaging 75 points per game and shooting 49 percent from the field.
"Knowing they can score means we are going to have to score as well," Jackson said. "I think if we run our offense and take care of the ball we will have a chance to score some points. We must be patient in our offense and look for our second and third options. That is where the patience comes in."
Live stats of the game can be viewed at bamastatesports.com. ASU will conclude their action in the tournament Sunday when they face Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 3 p.m.
-Hornets-
