MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State University men's basketball team will look for its third straight victory and a complete season sweep of rival Alabama A&M in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Saturday at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
 
"It's going to be a tough ballgame," Alabama State head men's basketball coach Lewis Jackson said. "Anytime you use the name Alabama A&M and Alabama State in any sport, you know it is going to be a tough ballgame. The records don't mean anything when it comes down to a game like this. It is the guys who are going to get out there and compete at the highest level and try to get that victory. We beat them in a two-point game at their place earlier this season and we expect it to be another good game when they come here."
 
The Hornets (7-16 overall, 5-6 SWAC) are 2-0 during the second leg of the conference schedule and are coming off back-to-back victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State. The Bulldogs (1-21, 1-10) enter have dropped their last eight games, including a 65-49 loss on Monday to Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The lone Alabama A&M win came on Jan. 7 in a 79-76 win at Mississippi Valley State.
 
On Monday, Alabama State shot 25-of-51 (49 percent) from the floor and 17-of-31 (54.8 percent) from the free-throw line. The Hornets held Mississippi Valley State without a field goal for the opening 6:13 of the game, before holding off the Delta Devils down the stretch.
 
Tony Armstrong came off the bench and scored seven of his team-high 13 points in the first half to pace the Alabama State offense. He was 6-of-10 shooting and also added five rebounds and two blocks. Reginald Gee finished with 11 points, two boards, one block and one assist, while Terrance LeFlore registered 11 points, on 4-of-7 shooting, with a team-high five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Torloft Thomas chipped in with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
 
Alabama A&M shot 41 percent (16-of-39)  from the field and 60 percent (15-od-25) from the charity stripe in the loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Quinterian McConico shot 6-of-9 from the floor to lead three Bulldog players in double figures with 16 points, two assist, one block and one rebound. De'Ederick Petty and Adrian Edwards each had 11 points as Alabama A&M scored 24 point of the 49 points in the pain and four second-chance points.
 
In the previous matchup, Armstrong came off the bench to provide the spark as he finished with 16 points, on 6-of-11 shooting, with five rebounds to help the Hornets end a three-game losing streak. Rodney Simeon and Gee each had 13 points.
 
The Hornets finished the road victory shooting 40.4 percent (19-of-47) from the floor, including 35 percent (7-of-20) from beyond the arc.
 
Petty paved the way for the Bulldog offense with 19 points, while McConico added 18 points and nine rebounds as the Bulldogs shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57).
 
Alabama A&M used a 7-2 run to close the game, but the Hornets were able to seal the win with a pair of free throws by Gee. The Bulldogs were held without a field over the final 2:16, including a shot in the final seconds that would have tied the game and sent it to overtime.
 
Alabama State concludes its three-game homestand and seeks its first season sweep of rival Alabama A&M since 2011-12 on Saturday at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. 
 
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