THE HILL | The Alabama A&M University men's basketball team carries a 2-0 record into its first road test of the season Monday, visiting DePaul for a nonconference matchup at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., with the game televised on truTV.
Both teams enter unbeaten, setting up an early opportunity for the Bulldogs to build on consecutive home victories. Alabama A&M opened with a 90-57 win over Oakwood before defeating Mississippi University for Women, 103-47, on Friday. DePaul also stands at 2-0 following victories over West Georgia and South Florida.
The Bulldogs head to Chicago following a balanced offensive performance against MUW.
Jalen Carruth and
Devin Brown each established career scoring highs with 17 points, while
Sami Pissis contributed 16 points and seven assists.
Stephaun Walker added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Brown recorded his second consecutive double-double, collecting 10 rebounds to go with five steals, three assists and one block. Carruth knocked down three 3-pointers, while Pissis connected on four of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
Alabama A&M's depth and defensive pressure helped fuel Friday's victory. The Bulldogs received 61 points from their bench and converted 29 turnovers into 39 points. AAMU also distributed 29 assists on 38 made field goals while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor.
Monday's matchup will challenge the Bulldogs to maintain that ball movement and defensive activity against a DePaul team coming off an 82-80 victory over South Florida. The Blue Demons led throughout Thursday's contest before holding off a late rally, with Layden Blocker delivering a pull-up jumper with 53 seconds remaining for the decisive basket.
Kruz McClure led DePaul with 18 points against South Florida. Noah Meeusen added 13 points and seven assists without a turnover, while Ade Popoola scored 12 and Kahmare Holmes finished with 11. The Blue Demons made 14 3-pointers and received 36 points from their bench.
Containing DePaul's perimeter shooting and finishing defensive possessions will be priorities for Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs also will look to carry their offensive balance into a road environment as they pursue a third consecutive victory.
Following Monday's contest, Alabama A&M returns to the AAMU Event Center to host West Florida on Thursday during the opening night of The Bulldog Bash. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and streamed on SWAC TV.
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