Game Notes

The Alabama State University men's basketball team does not have long to get ready for its next foe, who just happens to be the hottest team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Prairie View A&M.
 
Just two days after falling to the SWAC's top team in Texas Southern, the Panthers are bringing in a team that is coming off an impressive 75-72 road win at Alabama A&M.  The win was the Panthers sixth consecutive victory, giving them the longest winning streak in the conference.
 
The last time PVAMU lost was a 73-71 loss when Alabama State made a visit to Prairie View back on Feb. 2.  The game ended when DeMarcus Robinson capped a 26-point performance with a running floater as the horn was going off.
 
"We are looking at some film and putting together a game plan on Prairie View," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "They have been playing some really good basketball and we have to do a better job defensively.  We have to keep guys out of the lane, contest shots around the basket and we have to make sure we limit them to one shot.  It will be another tough ball game, a quick turnaround as it will be for them also."
 
Montrael Scott is the leading scorer for the Panthers averaging 15.2 points per game.  Tre Hagood averages 10.9 points per game, but is also the team's leading rebounder (5.4) and is one of the top assist players in the conference with 135 assists.
 
The game will feature the top two scoring teams in the conference as ASU's 71.9 scoring average leads the conference and PVAMU's 66 points per game is second.
 
The Hornets will look to big-man Wendell Lewis to have another big game.  He is coming off a career 25-point performance against Texas Southern and had 15 points against PVAMU in their earlier meeting.  DeMarcus Robinson averages 10.6 points per game which includes his 26-point performance earlier in Texas.
 
ASU continues to be led in scoring by Jamel Waters and his 13.4 points scoring average.  Maurice Strong leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game and the Hornets would like to duplicate their previous meeting when they out rebounded the taller Panthers 35-30.
 
While Saturday Night was Senior Day for six ASU seniors, Monday night will be the final time Tony Jacob, DeMarcus Robinson, Wendell Lewis, Maurice Strong, Luther Page and Brandon Graham will play in the Acadome.
 
"We have lost two in a row here at home and that has not happened in a while," Jackson said.  "We have to come out and get this last home game before we hit the road on Wednesday."
 
The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. and can be watched and heard live on HornetVision at bamastatesports.com.