HOUSTON, Texas | For the third consecutive game, Alabama State fought back from a double-digit second half deficit but came up short Saturday night falling to Texas Southern 80-73 at the H&PE Arena in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play.
Alabama State (2-6, 2-6 SWAC) trailed by as many as 19 points with 15:03 to play in the second half, and by as many as ten (75-65) with 3:05 to play. However, the Hornets pulled to within one possession at 76-73 after a
Jordan O'Neal lay-up with under 35 seconds to play before Texas Southern was able to hold with clutch free throw shooting in the final seconds.
Kevion Stewart was one of three players on the night to post career-highs, finishing with 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the floor including four three-pointers.
DJ Heath finished with a career-high 16 points and dished out a team-high five assists, while
E.J. Clark finished with a career-high 10 points on a perfect night from the free throw line (5-for-5).
Brandon Battle recorded his third double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while
DJ Jackson recorded a team-high three steals. Alabama State finished the night shooting 31.9 (23-for-72) percent from the floor and 29.6 (8-for-27) percent from beyond the arc, while also connecting on 76.0 (19-for-25) percent from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, Michael Weathers and John Walker III each ended the night with 18 points for Texas Southern who shot 41.5 (27-for-65) percent from the floor. They also shot just 21.4 (3-for-14) percent from beyond the arc and 74.2 (23-for-31) percent from the free throw line.
Alabama State returns to action Monday night at Prairie View A&M, with tip set for 7:30 pm. The game will be carried by the Hornet Sports Network.
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