Alabama A&M hosting Jackson State to open SWAC schedule

HUNTSVILLE — Basketball is returning to Elmore Gymnasium.

And, this time, the stakes are high.

Alabama A&M opens its Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule on Saturday with the Bulldogs hosting Jackson State in a men's and women's doubleheader.

The women's game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Elmore Gymnasium, with the men's game tabbed for 6 p.m.

"When you get into conference play, every game is huge," said Alabama A&M guard Nigeria Jones, who is averaging nine points per game.

"Everyone is working toward the same goal — get in the conference tournament and win a championship. This is the first step in making that happen."

The Alabama A&M women's basketball team is trying to build on the positive momentum it gained during the holiday break. The Bulldogs (5-6) currently are on a three-game winning streak, with wins against North Florida, Jacksonville and Southeastern Louisiana.

Alabama A&M freshmen Elexis Evans and Chinelo Lucy Ibeh are among the SWAC's leaders in rebounds, ranked ninth and 10^th, respectively. Evans is averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, while Ibeh is averaging 5.7 rebounds per game.

Jackson State (4-7) also closed out its non-conference schedule with positive momentum, winning three of its last five games. The Tigers have been the SWAC's top defensive team, holding opponents to 61.9 points per game.

Jackson State's Marniesha Hamer is second in the SWAC in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game.

"Everyone is excited to get back out on the floor and get SWAC play started," Alabama A&M guard Jameica Cobb said. "We're playing with a lot of confidence. We want to build on that and get off to a strong start in the conference."

The Alabama A&M men's basketball team played a challenging non-conference schedule, traveling to almost every corner of the country.

Alabama A&M (1-13) recorded its first win on Dec. 22 when the Bulldogs topped Tulane at the Boardwalk Battle in Atlantic City, N.J.

The Bulldogs' record, however, is a bit deceiving.

While playing a challenging schedule, Alabama A&M has been competitive in the majority of its games while showing signs of improvement throughout December.

Jalen Reeder leads Alabama A&M in scoring with 10.9 points per game. Arthur Johnson, who was the SWAC Player of the Week earlier this season, is scoring 9.5 points per game with 3.1 rebounds.

Alabama A&M point guard Brandon Miller is third in the SWAC with 4.1 assists per game, and he leads the SWAC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.9.

Jackson State (3-10) has been the SWAC's top defensive team, holding opponents to 66.8 points per game.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Jameica Cobb: SG; 5' 8"; Junior

#32 Elexis Evans: F; 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman

#5 Nigeria Jones: PG; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#0 Jalen Reeder: G; 6' 5"; Senior

#2 Brandon Miller: G; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#10 Arthur Johnson: G; 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#4 Jameica Cobb
: 5' 8"; Junior
: SG

#32 Elexis Evans
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman
: F

#5 Nigeria Jones
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: PG

#0 Jalen Reeder
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G

#2 Brandon Miller
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: G

#10 Arthur Johnson
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G