MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama State men's basketball team rolled past Mississippi Valley 84-55 and opened Southwestern Athletic Conference play with a key win.

The Hornets (5-9, 1-0) had four players score in double figures, led by Micah Octave, who had 14 points, nine rebounds and two steals. CJ Hines tacked on 14 points and six assists and Amarr Knox chipped in with 13 points and three steals.

Octave pulled down five offensive rebounds to pace the Alabama State offense which grabbed 12 boards and turned them into 11 second-chance points.

Alabama State's defense held Mississippi Valley State to only 12.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 35.1 percent from the field.

How It Happened

After falling behind 6-5, Alabama State went on an 8-0 run with 16:03 left in the first half to take a 13-6 lead. The Hornets then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 39-29 advantage. Alabama State made a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 19 of its 39 total points.

Alabama State started the second half with a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 46-29 with 18:48 to go in the contest. The Hornets kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 84-55 win. Alabama State capitalized on 10 Mississippi Valley State turnovers in the period, collecting 14 points off turnovers.

Game Notes

» The Hornets shot well from three-point range, knocking down eight of 18 long-range attempts.
» The Hornets held the Delta Devils to only 35.1 percent shooting from the field.
» Alabama State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Alabama State had a stellar day defensively, holding Mississippi Valley State to 12 percent from beyond the arc on 16 attempts.
» The Alabama State bench made an impact by adding 35 points to its scoring output.
» The Alabama State defense forced 16 turnovers.
» Alabama State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Micah Octave and CJ Hines led the Hornets with 14 points each.
» Alabama State got a team-high nine rebounds from Micah Octave.