Box Score  
It is not like the Hornets did not have their chances to pull out the win, but they could not make the plays on offense or defense to pull out the win late in the game.
 
"We knew it was going to be a tough game, we knew it was going to be a game of runs, but we were our own worst enemy tonight," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "We stopped doing what we were doing.  We turned the ball over, we missed a ton of free throws and when you're on the road and playing rivalry games like this you can't make those types of mistakes."
 
Maurice Strong scored 17 points and Jamel Waters added 14, but it was not near enough as no one else on the team hit double digits.
 
ASU only shot 39 percent from the field, but what hurts even more was the Hornets inability to hit free throws knocking down only 18 of 34 attempts for 53 percent.
 
ASU held a three point lead with 31 seconds left in regulation with Brandon Graham at the line with a chance to make it a two possession game, but both of his free throws missed the mark allowing the home team a chance to tie the score, which they did as Jeremy Crutcher hit a layup and was fouled with 10 seconds left in the game.  He made the free throw sending the game into OT.
 
In overtime the Hornets missed two free throws and trailed 66-65 with less than 10 seconds left.  After breaking through AAMU's press, Waters hit Strong all alone under the basket but Strong's dunk went off the back of the rim and AAMU hit two free throws to end the game with the final three point spread.
 
"We have to be patient and doing the things that we do," Jackson said.  "Tonight we didn't do that.  We went to the free throw line several times with a chance to put the game away and we didn't hit them.  We just made mistake after mistake."
 
Crutcher had a game-high 27 points to lead AAMU and Arthur Capers added 16.  No other player had more than seven points and that was by Jerome Hunter.
 
The Bulldogs shot 43 percent from the field and hit 70 percent of their free throws (16-23).
 
ASU falls to 14-9 overall and 8-4 in SWAC action while with the win the Bulldogs move one more game closer to the Hornets at 10-12 overall and 7-5 in the conference.
 
"We knew they were going to come out and go at us," Jackson said.  "They made some shots and they actually made some tough shots with us in their face.  But what we failed to do was execute down the stretch.  We got away from getting the ball inside and they started pressing some and we just didn't handle it."
 
The Hornets trailed 28-18 with 9:40 left in the first half, but turned up the defense and held the Bulldogs to only one field goal the rest of the way.  ASU held the host scoreless for 9:30 before a Crutcher field goal with 10 seconds left in the half stopped the drought.
 
By the time the AAMU scored, the Hornets had gone on an 18-0 run to lead 36-28.  Strong led the Hornets offense with 11 points while Armstrong came off the bench to score seven.
 
ASU finished the half shooting 48 percent from the field and hit three of seven three's for 43 percent.  The Hornets could have had even a larger lead if they had shot their free throws better.  They only hit five of their 10 attempts.
 
Capers and Crutcher scored 10 points each to lead AAMU who finished the half shooting 40 percent from the field.  The Bulldogs hit their first three three point field goal attempts of the game and finish hitting four of 10 for 40 percent.
 
The Hornets will be back home for its next two games beginning Saturday, Feb. 22 when they host Alcorn State at 5 p.m.
 
-Hornets-