MONTGOMERY, Ala | Alabama State found itself down by 21 early in the second half before taking the lead with less than two minutes left, but Alcorn State used free throw shooting down the stretch to hold on for a 57-52 win at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome Saturday night.

Alabama State (1-5, 1-5 SWAC) found itself 40-19 with 17:32 to play in the game but outscored the Braves 32-10 over the next 16 minutes to take a 51-50 lead on a Kenny Strawbridge layup with just 50 seconds to play. They extended the lead to 52-50 on a Brandon Battle free throw with 38 seconds to play, before Myson Lowe connected on a three-pointer with just 23.6 seconds to play to give Alcorn State a 53-52 lead.

The Braves hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Battle finished with his second consecutive double-double, finishing the night with 17 points and 10 rebounds. LaTrell Tate came off the bench to add 12 points, while Jordan O'Neal finished with 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals.

Alabama State finished the night shooting 30.8 (16-for-52) percent from the floor and just 14.3 (3-for-21) percent from beyond the arc in the loss. They also shot 63.0 (17-for-27) percent from the free throw line, while grabbing 44 rebounds and forcing 19 turnovers.

Troymain Crosby led Alcorn State (3-6, 3-1 SWAC) with 19 points, while Kurk Lee added 14. The Braves finished the night shooting 36.2 (21-for-58) percent from the floor and 27.8 (5-for-18) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 83.3 (10-for-12) percent from the free throw line.

Alabama State returns to action Monday night, hosting Southern at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome. The tip is scheduled for 8 pm and can be seen on the Hornet Sports Network.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University men's basketball, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateMBB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook), and @BamaStateSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.