MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State men's basketball team took to the courts at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on Saturday and used their time to play a Gold versus Grey scrimmage that needed two extra overtime periods of five minutes apiece plus an additional three minutes before the outcome was decided.

The Hornets had some positive takeaways from the scrimmage including better communication defensively, execution in running the offense, transition defense and better team spirit with players cheering on one another and encouraging each other to become better players. 
  
Next, Alabama State (1-7) will travel early Sunday to head to Atlanta's airport to fly out west for a second time this season.

The Hornets will have big challenges ahead with a visit to San Diego State (4-3) on Monday for a 9 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. PT tip off scheduled at Viejas Arena. 

The game may be viewed on the Mountain West Network or through this video streaming link: https://campusinsiders.com/live/12-12-16-alabama-state-san-diego-state-mens-basketball-campus-insiders/

Live stats can be seen here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=144666

"They [San Diego State] have a really good ball club," said ASU head men's basketball coach Lewis Jackson.

"They've on somewhat of a slide [two-game losing streak], but that doesn't take away from them because they have some really solid players.  But, we are concentrating on us.  We're trying to be more efficient in our offense, limit the amount of our turnovers and rebound the basketball well.  We've been spending a lot of our time here in practice in working on ourselves."

ASU will then quickly head off to Nashville, Tenn. to play at Tennessee State (7-2) at the Gentry Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. 

That game may be viewed on the OVC Network through this video streaming link: http://ovcdigitalnetwork.com/watch/?Live=4804

Live stats may be seen here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=143966

The Hornets could receive a boost of available players on the trip.   

Corvon Butler, who has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, returned to take part in Saturday's practice.    

Butler has averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game thus far in 2016. 

Junior forward Demetrius Houston (transfer from Mississippi State) could also see his first action of the season as well this week as he works his way into game shape. 

Houston could provide some athletic length and size at 6-foot-7 to the Hornets' lineup. 

Players to watch

Alabama State
Rodney Simeon continues to lead the Hornets in scoring by averaging 13.8 points per contest (seventh in the SWAC).  The junior is shooting at a 37 percent clip from 3-point range (10^th in the SWAC) and also leads the team in 3-pointers made with 24. (three 3-pointers per game is ranked second in the conference)

He's also shooting .833 from the free throw line (20-of-24) and good for fifth best in the conference. 

San Diego State
Sophomore guard Jeremy Hemsley had a career-high 28 points, 25 of them scoring in the second half, in the Aztecs' close defeat to Grand Canyon. 

Hemsley shot 7-of-8 from 3-point range and was 9-of-15 overall from the field including 3-of-5 from the free throw line.

Tennessee State
Redshirt senior forward Wayne Martin is averaging a double-double per game as the Tigers' presence down low with 13.1 points per game on 56 percent field goal percentage shooting with 10.0 rebounds per game. 

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