NORTH ALABAMA (5-6) at ALABAMA A&M (2-7)
Date: Friday, Dec. 20, 2019
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: T.M. Elmore Gymnasium ^__ Huntsville, Ala.
Live Stats: aamusports.com (Sidearm Sports)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ^__ The Alabama A&M men's basketball team will play its last home game of the first half of the season on Friday evening when the Bulldogs host the University of North Alabama. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Elmore Gymnasium.

Alabama A&M (2-7) is back at home for the first time since back-to-back wins against in state opponents Troy (Nov. 25) and Jacksonville State (Dec. 7). In their last outing, the Bulldogs fell on the road in Mobile to South Alabama 89-79. Five Bulldogs scored in double figures in the loss, including four freshman, Garrett Hicks (16), Cameron Alford (13), Jalen Johnson (13), Cameron Tucker (11) and junior Brandon Houston (10).

North Alabama (5-6) is coming off a loss to Conference USA opponent UAB 63-56 in their last game. The Lions were led by Christian Agnew, who finished with a team-high 14 points to go along with nine rebounds and Mervin James who added 13 points. UNA was picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference, with sophomore Jamari Blackmon voted to the Preseason All-Conference team.

An A&M Win Would...

• Get the Bulldogs their third non-conference win of the year.
• Improve Alabama A&M's home record to 3-0.
• Boost the Bulldogs' record against in-state opponents to 3-2.

Scouting North Alabama

• North Alabama is 5-6 on the year, winning all of their games in Flowers Hall and losing all six of their road games.
• The Lions currently rank among the leaders in the ASUN in offensive production, averaging 67.9 points, including 78 total three-pointers on 11.7 assists per game, while shooting 32.1 percent from behind the arc through 11 games this season.
• Guard Jamari Blackmon leads the Lions in scoring with 13.8 points per game. Christian Agnew is the only other Lion averaging double figures (10.8).

Scouting A&M

• The Bulldogs enter the final home matchup of the year against North Alabama after a loss, 89-79 on the road to the South Alabama on Tuesday. Freshman Garrett Hicks led the team in scoring with a career-high 16 points.
• Freshman Cameron Alford currently is leading the Bulldogs in scoring (13.7) and rebounding (5.1) so far, and has scored in double-digits in eight of the nine games this season.
• Three A&M athletes are ranked in the top ten in the SWAC in three-pointers made per game, including TJ Parham ranking sixth (1.7 per game), Garrett Hicks ninth (1.6 per game) and and Brandon Miller at 11th with 1.4 threes per game.
• The Bulldogs also have three scorers in the top-25 of the conference in scoring, with Alford being fourth, Garrett Hicks (10.1) ranking 17th and TJ Parham (9.6) ranked 21st.
• Freshman Cameron Tucker recorded his first career double-digit scoring game at South Alabama on Dec. 17. Tucker went 2-for-4 from the field and hit a career-high seven free throws to score his 11 points.

Up Next
Alabama A&M will hit the road to face Notre Dame on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. for the last matchup of the non-conference schedule, before entering SWAC play on the road at Grambling State on Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
 
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