BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama State hits the floor for the second time at the Bill Harris Arena this season, however, this time it's in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) semifinals Friday night.

Sixth-seeded Alabama State hits the floor at 8:30 pm against second-seeded Texas Southern, with tip set for 8:30 pm. The winner of the contest advances to the championship game of the tournament with a berth in the NCAA Tournament on the line. The game will be carried by ESPN3, and can be heard on the Hornet Sports Network beginning at 8:15 pm.

Alabama State (12-18) dropped both regular season meetings to Texas Southern this season, including a contest in which they led late inside the Dunn-Oliver Acadome earlier this month. The Tigers lead the all-time series 43-35 including winning the last 12 meetings between the two teams. This will be the third consecutive year the two teams have met in the conference tournament, with the previous two meetings coming in the quarterfinals in Houston.

The Hornets enter the game fresh off a victory over third-seeded Jackson State on the road Tuesday night which ended a four-game losing streak. In that contest, Alabama State led by as many as 16 in the second half before Jackson State closed to within five in the final minutes; however, a three-pointer by Tobi Ewuosho with under 35 seconds to play sealed the victory. It is the first time the Hornets have advanced past the quarterfinals since 2015.

Reginald Gee, a Second Team All-Conference selection, leads Alabama State in scoring at 13.5 points per game. He is shooting 40.3 (123-of-305) percent from the floor on the season and 40.5 (49-of-121) percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Jacoby Ross is averaging 13.0 points per game and shooting 83.5 (71-of-85) percent from the free throw line.

Leon Daniels has come on strong down the stretch for the Hornets, averaging 9.0 points per game and is shooting 37.3 (41-of-110) percent from beyond the arc.

Tickets are $10 per session on Friday, $7 per ticket for group rates and students get in for $5 with a valid student ID. Tickets may be purchased online or walk-up at Bill Harris Arena the day of the game.

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