STARKVILLE, Miss. | The Alabama State University men's basketball team could not overcome a quick start by Mississippi State University, dropping their opener 96-68 at Humphrey Coliseum Friday night.
 
"It was a tough game for us," Alabama State head coach Lewis Jackson said. "I thought Mississippi State did an outstanding job of getting out and running, and they attacked the rim on us all night. We knew it was going to be tough, especially when you start three guys who haven't played at the Division I basketball before at this level.
 
"I saw some good things from our team, we fought and never quit. The guys kept listening and kept grinding. We didn't shoot the ball well from the free throw line, but there is a lot of room for growth on this team. I like what this team can become. We are going to continue to work and get after it, and with nine new players the maturation process is going to take some time. We just have to continue to work and get some reps under our belt, and we going to be okay."
 
Jacoby Ross scored a career-high 17 points of the bench, including hitting six three points; while Ed Jones added 16 points and six rebounds as he converted on 7-of-11 of his shots.
 
Alabama State shot 37.3 (25-of-67) percent from the floor and 26.9 (7-of-26) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 50 (11-of-22) percent from the free throw line, and forced 14 Mississippi State turnovers.
 
The Bulldogs were led by Aric Holman, who paced five players in double figures with 18 and 11 rebounds.
 
The Hornets were able to get to the free throw line early in the first half, but connected on just 50 (3-of-6) percent of those opportunities. After Alabama State closed to within 7-3 early in the first half, Mississippi State went on a 23-5 run to open the lead to 21 (30-9) with 9:27 to play in the first.
 
The Bulldogs continued to push the lead as they got the ball inside to their two post players, Holman and E.J. Datcher who combined for 24 of the team's 58 first half points. Although the Bulldogs were able to pull away in the first half, Alabama State was able to get into their offense with three three-pointers from Jacoby Ross late in the first half and a pair of baskets (and free throws) from Fredens Deneus.
 
For every basket Alabama State scored in the second half, Mississippi State had an answer. Alabama State was shooting near 40 percent in the second half, however, the Bulldogs were near 50 for the entire second half to hold on to the lead.
 
The Hornets will continue their eight-game road trip to open the season, traveling to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes Sunday. The game tips at 3 pm and can be seen on the Big Ten Network (BTN+).
 
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