This is ASU's seventh conference road game with the previous six ending with a 3-3 record for the Hornets.  Wins over Grambling State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State were all close games, but so were the losses at SWAC leader Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State, where it took a 30+ foot buzzer beater to hand the Hornets a two-point loss.
 
ASU has gone undefeated at home this season (10-0/5-0 SWAC)) and winning as many games on the road as you can helps in the chase for a Southwestern Athletic Conference title.
 
"You always want to win all of your home games and as many on the road as you can," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "We go into every game wanting to win them all, but in order to win championships you have to win more than you lose on the road.  In the SWAC anyone can win at anytime so they are all tough games, but none as tough as the next game."
 
ASU is coming off a 76-71 loss at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.  The Hornets may have played their worse half of basketball of the season in trailing 35-19 at halftime.
 
The second half was a totally different game as ASU may have played their best offensive basketball of the season.  They shot 61 percent from the field in the second half and came all the way back from the deficit to take a lead three-point lead (61-58) with 5:38 left in the game, but could not sustain the run in falling by five.
 
"We just really played bad in the first half and that is something we have been doing this season," Jackson said.  "We talk about it and talk about it some more and I just don't understand why we have been starting off so bad.  But what happened to us at Pine Bluff will happen to us again Saturday if we don't come out ready to play."
 
ASU (14-8/8-3 SWAC) still holds on to second place in the SWAC, two full games behind league-leading Southern and two games ahead of Alabama A&M (9-15/6-5 SWAC) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
 
Points in the game may come at a premium as the game will feature two of the top scoring defenses in the conference.  ASU is second in scoring defense allowing 67.6 points per game and the Bulldogs not that far behind in fourth allowing only 68.6 points per game.
 
"A&M really gets after you on the defensive end of the court," Jackson said.  "They have players who play physical and are tough in their man-to-man defense.  They also play fast in their zone defense and with the bigs they have it is hard to get into the lane to try and make something happen.  We are going to need to click on all cylinders for 40 minutes to have a chance."
 
The Hornet will look to the always reliable Jamel Waters, who has proven himself to be one of the top players in the conference this season.  His 14.2 scoring average is seventh in the conference while he leads the SWAC in assists (6.0) and assists-to-turnover ratio (3.2).  He is third in free throw percentage (.814), third in steals (1.9) and fifth in minutes played (33.7).  His name is also on the NCAA list in assists as he is tied for 13^th nationally in that category.
 
"Jamel has done it all for us this season," Jackson said.  "He has led our offense and gets us into the right play, and when we have needed points he has the ability to create his own shot and knock it down.  Defensively he seems to come up with a big steal and has even grabbed a big rebound late in games."
 
ASU also needs the scoring the DeMarcus Robinson, who is coming off an 18 point performance at Pine Bluff, but that followed an off night at Mississippi Valley where he only scored nine points.  He is averaging 12.2 per game, but needs to find the consistency to be a constant scoring threat every time he touches the ball.
 
Bobby Brown may be the best sixth man in the league.  He comes off the bench and adds some instant offense to the Hornets as he continues to average over 10 points per game.  He has also become a solid rebounder and averages five per outing.
 
The undersized Hornets have battled on defense all season long and that includes on the boards.  They average 37 rebounds per game (3^rd in SWAC) and are coming off a four game stretch where they have not been out rebounded and have 16 more rebounds than their taller opponents.
 
That will be the same against AAMU as the Bulldogs boast a lineup that includes players that stand 7'-1" and 6'-10".  They also have a 6'-8" and two 6'-5" players coming off the bench.
 
Maurice Strong has been the epitome of an undersized player in the paint.  He leads ASU averaging 6.5 rebounds per game which is seventh in the SWAC.  Brandon Graham (5.4), Luther Page (5.2) and Brown (5.0) all average around five rebounds per game.
 
"Our defense is going to need to step up at A&M," Jackson said.  "They have guards that can penetrate the lane or if you back off them they can drop the three.  Their bigs are going to be a tremendous challenge for us.  They will have a lot more size in the paint and we have got to do a good job of working the passing lanes and making it tough for them to get the ball around the basket."
 
"A&M doesn't score a lot of points, but that doesn't mean they can't.  They are a patient team on the offensive end and will work the ball around looking to get the ball inside.  They can play an inside out game which means we have to be patient and focused on defense at all times."
 
Jeremy Crutcher has become one of the best shooting guards in the league.  He averages 12.5 points per game for AAMU, but leads the SWAC in three-point shooting (.417) and has hit 40 three point field goals.  He is also the Bulldogs leader when it comes to distributing the basketball as he has 66 assists on the season.
 
DeMarquelle Tabb has always given the Hornet fits and that will be no different this game.  He averages right at 10 points per game and is the team's leading rebounder at 6.0 per game.  He does all of that while coming off the bench.
 
Justin Banks knows how to use his seven foot frame around the basket as he is one of the top field goal shooters in the conference knocking down 61 percent of his field goals.
 
"If we want to continue to battle for the SWAC title games like this can define your team," Jackson said.  "We were able to make a late run to get into overtime and beat them at our place, but I don't think we can fall behind and come back at their place.  We just have to be ready.  We know how tough and physical the ASU and A&M games are and this one will be no different."
 
The game has been picked by the SWAC office to be shown live on SWAC Digital Network.  The game can also be heard live on WVAS FM 90.7 the home of the Hornets.  Check on bamastatesports.com Game Day Central for all the action.