TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | TJ Madlock led three players in double figures for Alabama State but it wasn't enough as the Hornets fell to Florida A&M 73-65 at the Al Lawson Center in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action Saturday night.
 
Madlock led Alabama State (12-15, 7-7 SWAC) with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Micah Octave added 11 points and seven rebounds. Amarr Knox came off the bench to score 10 points for the Hornets who finished the night shooting 31.5 (23-of-73) percent from the floor and just 15.0 (3-of-20) percent from beyond the arc.
 
They also shot 64.0 (16-of-25) percent from the free throw line and grabbed 43 rebounds, while forcing 19 turnovers and losing the basketball just seven times.
 
Meanwhile, Keith Lamar led Florida A&M with 22 points and Shannon Grant added 15 in the win. Jalen Speer was held to 12 points for the Rattlers who shot 45.7 (21-of-46) percent from the floor and 35.7 (5-of-14) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 83.9 (26-of-31) percent from the free throw line.
 
How It Happened

• Alabama State trailed 8-0 early before a timeout called led to a 22-0 run over a six-minute span to give Alabama State a 22-8 lead. They were able to maintain the double-digit lead until late in the first half.
• The Hornets shot 31.0 (13-of-42) percent from the floor and 75.0 (6-of-8) percent from the free throw line while missing all eight of their three-point opportunities.
• Florida A&M shot 28.6 (6-of-21) percent from the floor and 28.6 (2-of-7) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 80.0 (12-of-15) percent from the free throw line.
• The Hornets shot 32.3 (10-of-31) percent from the floor in the second half and 25.0 (3-of-12) percent from the free throw line in the second half. They also shot 58.8 (10-of-17) percent from the free throw line in the second half.
• Florida A&M finished the second half shooting 60 (15-of-25) percent from the floor and 42.9 (3-of-7) percent from beyond the arc.

Alabama State Notes

• Alabama State had four players with two or more fouls in the first half including Octave and Isaiah Range with three each.
• Octave continued his streak of steals with a first-half steal, giving him a steal in 25 of the team's 27 games.
• Madlock scored in double figures for the 23rd time this season, the most by any Hornet through the first 27 games.
• Alabama State had two players – Ubong Okon and Darrell Reed – foul out of the contest, the first time that has happened this season.
• The Hornets find themselves in a tie with Alabama A&M for seventh place in the conference standings with four games remaining.
• Alabama State extended their road streak of hitting a three-pointer to 188 consecutive games with a second-half three-pointer.

Up Next
Alabama State stays on the road facing Bethune-Cookman at 7:30 p.m. in Daytona Beach on Monday, Feb. 26.
 
Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State athletics, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateSports (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook), @bamastatesports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at bamastatesports.com.
 
  Read Full Article