HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Junior guard Messiah Thompson (Atlanta, Ga.) led Alabama A&M (9-14, 5-5 SWAC) with 20 points and four assists on the night as the Bulldogs blew past Southern, the top team in the conference heading into the weekend, 82-61, on Saturday afternoon inside the Event Center.
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, first at 4-0 and later 11-4 at the first media timeout at the 15:57 mark of the first half. After a score from Southern, Thompson and Garrett Hicks (Madison, Ala.) hit back-to-back threes over the next minute, putting A&M up 17-6.
 
Later in the half, A&M extended their lead to 13 after Austin Harvell (Athens, Ala.) sank a pair of free throws to make the score 24-11 with 11 minutes to play. From there the Jaguars reduced the lead to eight at the 6:41 mark, before the Bulldogs went on a 17-4 run to close the half to lead 42-21 at the break.
 
A&M continued to control momentum in the second half, despite an initial run from Southern to cut the lead to 15 at 50-35. The Jaguars made a scored five straight with just under 13 minutes to play to get within single digits at 52-43, however the Bulldogs responded on the next possession as Thompson sparked a run to gain another double-digit edge.
 
The Bulldogs went back up 20 at 72-50 after a layup and foul from Omari Peek (Cincinnati, Ohio), and remained in control the rest of the way for the 82-61 win.
 
Thompson led three double figure scorers in the win with 20 points, going 4-for-6 from long range in 33 minutes. He was followed by Smith, who shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 15 points and Peak who finished with 12 points and a steal on the night.
 
Alabama A&M shot a season-high 62 (31-for-50) percent from the floor, 45 (9-for-20) percent from three-point range and 68.8 (11-for-16) percent from the free throw line in the game. Meanwhile, Southern finished the night shooting 42.6 (20-for-47) percent from the field, 25 (5-for-20) percent from deep, and 88.9 (16-for-18) percent from the charity stripe in the loss.
 
Up Next
Alabama A&M will remain home on Monday to host Grambling State in a conference doubleheader inside the Event Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Follow The Bulldogs
Stay connected with Alabama A&M Men's Basketball on Instagram and Twitter (@Bulldogs_Hoops). For complete coverage of Alabama A&M athletics, follow on social media at @aamuathletics (Instagram) and @AAMUBulldogs on Twitter, and visit the official home of Alabama A&M University athletics at www.aamusports.com.