Alcorn State will open the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament against Alabama State on Monday at Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern Time, with all tournament games available on ESPN+.
The Braves enter as the No. 11 seed after finishing the regular season with an 8-22 overall record and a 7-11 mark in conference play. Alabama State, the defending champion, is the No. 10 seed with a 10-21 overall record.
Alcorn is not ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, nor is Alabama State. The Braves are led by Tycen McDaniels, who averages 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In conference play, he boosts those numbers to 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, shooting 56% from the field.
Shane Lancaster, a top three-point shooter, has made 60 three-pointers this season and maintains a 44.8% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Jameel Morris averages 10.3 points and leads the team with 82 assists, shooting nearly 49% from the floor against SWAC opponents.
In their last game, Alcorn lost to Arkansas-Pine Bluff 83-48. Tycen McDaniels scored 16 points and added nine rebounds, while Shane Lancaster had five assists. Arkansas-Pine Bluff dominated early, building a 37-19 halftime lead and shooting over 52% from the field.
Alabama State comes into the tournament as the reigning champions, holding a 35-31 series edge over Alcorn. The Hornets won earlier this season in Montgomery, Alabama, and have won two of the last three meetings overall.
Alabama State is led by SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Jaquarius Stanback, who averages 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Hornets also feature Micah Simpson, who scores 13.9 points per game, and Asjon Anderson, who averages 14.5 points.
The winner of Monday’s game will face No. 8 seed Prairie View A&M on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET. Follow Alcorn State Sports on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for updates and behind-the-scenes coverage.
