"This was another big win for us," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "We are playing with a lot of intensity and our defense is better and we are just playing hard."
 
The win gives ASU a season-long three game winning streak and they have now won five of their last six games as the Hornets continue to turn the second half of the conference season around.
 
Jamel Waters led ASU with 22 points, 14 of those in the second half.  Corvon Butler had 12 points and Terrance LeFlore finished with 11.
 
The Hornets shot 45 percent from the field and that includes 58 percent (14-24) in the second half.  The Hornets needed all of those baskets as they were outshot 30-18 at the free throw line.  The Hornets did hit 13 of those free throws, shooting 72 percent.
 
ASU started out cold from the three point line missing their first six attempts.  They finished the game knocking down six of their 22 attempts for 27 percent.
 
The difference in tonight's game was the Hornets defense.  They held Alcorn (13-13/11-4) to 38 percent from the field and after hitting eight threes in the game at Alcorn, the Braves only hit one of their 12 attempts as ASU's defense stepped up against the Braves three point shooters.
 
Jackson said "We tried to take away their catch and shoot three point shooters and I thought we really did a good job of doing that.  We wanted to make them put it on the floor and to try and draw some charges. I know Armstrong was able to do that early and we did some good things."
 
DeAndre Davis had a game-high 26 points for Alcorn State and Tamarcio Wilson added 13.
 
ASU won the rebounding battle 38-37 as Bobby Brown came off the bench to grab a team-high nine boards.  The Hornets forced Alcorn State into 18 turnovers with Waters grabbing a game-high four.  He also five assists to tie LeFlore for team and game-highs.
 
The Hornets went into the locker room at halftime with a 34-23 lead in a physical half that saw both teams struggle shooting from the field.
 
Butler led the Hornets offensive efforts with 10 points and Waters had eight.  The Hornets shot 36 percent from the field and out rebounded the visitors 22-20 with Butler's six leading the game.
 
ASU's defense held the Braves to 33 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes and forced the visitors into 10 turnovers which turned into nine points for the Hornets.
 
Davis had 11 first-half points to lead Alcorn State.
 
"Right now the guys feel they can win and we are getting a good effort from them so it is going to be a tough road trip to Texas this weekend as it always is, but the guys are feeling good right now," Jackson added.
 
The Hornets will hit the road for their final regular season road trip next weekend will the travel to Texas to face Prairie View A&M Saturday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. and will face Texas Southern Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7:30 p.m.