MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State is set to open the 2021 season at home against Grambling State Saturday afternoon, after having last taken the court 297 days ago in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament.

The Hornets, under first-year head coach Mo Williams, will play the first of 18 conference games after opting out of the non-conference slate in mid-November, beginning with the game this weekend at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

Alabama State and Grambling State have met 83 times overall, with the Hornets holding a 57-26 lead in the series. Grambling State has won six of the previous ten meetings in the series, including the last three; however, Alabama State holds the longest winning streak in the series by winning 13 consecutive from 1998 to 2005.

Tip is set for 4:30 pm inside the Dunn-Oliver Acadome, and only fans who have purchased season tickets will be admitted into the facility.

HOW TO WATCH: Alabama State (0-0, 0-0 SWAC) vs. Grambling State (2-5, 0-0 SWAC)
WATCH: Hornet Sports Network
LIVE STATS: BamaStateSports.com
SERIES: Alabama State leads 57-26 (Montgomery: 33-8; Grambling: 22-18; Neutral: 2-0)

LAST TIME OUT – (Alabama State, 0-0)
Alabama State last played in March 2020, falling to Southern 67-53 in the opening round of the SWAC Tournament on the road. Kevion Stewart led Alabama State with 10 points off the bench, while Jacoby Ross chipped in with nine off the bench. The loss ended the season for the Hornets in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

LAST TIME OUT – (Grambling State, 2-5)
Grambling State fell 77-70 to Southeastern Louisiana in their non-conference finale December 23, despite a game-high 17 points from Kelton Edwards. Sarion McGee added 14 points, while Trevell Cunningham added 11 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in the loss – the second consecutive for the Tigers.

GAME NOTES
Alabama State starts the 2021 campaign this week, playing a conference-only schedule. The Hornets, along with Merrimack, are one of a pair of teams who have yet to play this season whose conference did not opt-out of the season. The two teams elected to play conference-only schedules due to the pandemic.

Mo Williams begins his first season at the helm of the Hornets after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge. Williams spent 14 years in the NBA, winning the 2016 championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is one of 26 NCAA Division I head coaches with NBA playing experience this season.

Alabama State returns five players from last year's team and welcomes eight newcomers to the 2021 squad. The Hornets are among 55 schools in the country with eight or more newcomers on the roster and are one of 24 teams in the nation with five or fewer letter winners returning from the previous season.

The Hornets are 2-8 in season openers over the last ten seasons and are 6-4 in conference openers over that same period.

Alabama State has logged 20-plus wins 13 times throughout their history, including picking up 30 wins during the 1979-80 season.

Brandon Battle averages 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in a pair of games against Grambling State during his career, while DJ Heath averages 4.5 points in a couple of games.

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