THE HILL | Jalen Carruth posted a career-high 16 points, on 5-of-5 shooting, but the Alabama A&M University men's basketball team could not pick up the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory on Saturday in an 89-88 loss to Alabama State at the AAMU Event Center.
Alabama A&M (16-13 overall, 9-7 SWAC) got a 3-poiner by
Koron Davis with 1:13 remaining to grab an 88-87 lead. However, a Tyler Mason bucket proved to be the game-winner with 26 seconds left.
The Bulldogs had one final opportunity as
James Graham III's 3-pointer with five seconds remaining went in-and-out as the Hornets survived with the road victory.
Davis finished just two points shy of a career high with 26 points, four boards, two assists and one steal.
Bilal Abdur-Rahman recorded 13 points and
Kintavious Dozier poured in 10 points.
Micah Simpson led Alabama State with 24 points, five boards, three assists and one steal. Mason chipped in 20 points and six boards.
FIRST HALF
Alabama State struck first as Micah Simpson knocked down a three-pointer just 28 seconds into the game to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead. Davis answered with a jumper off an offensive rebound to cut it to 3-2, but the Hornets continued to push the tempo early.
Simpson buried another three at the 17:13 mark to extend ASU's advantage to 9-4. Alabama A&M responded behind Davis, who scored eight quick points, including a fast-break layup at 12:35 to tie the contest at 17.
The Bulldogs grabbed their first lead of the afternoon at 18-17 after a free throw by
Sami Pissis with 12:08 left in the half. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, with Carruth sparking A&M off the bench. Carruth connected on back-to-back three-pointers, including one at 4:29 to give the Bulldogs a 40-37 edge.
Alabama State closed the half strong. Mason scored inside at 2:34 to give the Hornets a 41-42 lead, and Simpson capped the period with a layup in the final seconds as ASU took a 50-44 advantage into the locker room.
SECOND HALF
The Hornets pushed their lead to double digits early in the second half following a Tyler Byrd fast-break dunk at 18:34 that made it 56-46.
Alabama A&M chipped away behind Davis and P.J. Eason. A Dozier three-pointer in transition at 17:07 trimmed the deficit to 58-52, and Davis' dunk at 17:34 kept momentum on the Bulldogs' side.
The Bulldogs continued to battle. Davis converted a three-pointer at 6:16 to give A&M a 79-76 lead, capping a key run that erased another ASU surge. The contest featured 12 lead changes and 13 ties.
With 1:13 remaining, Davis knocked down a clutch three-pointer to put Alabama A&M ahead 88-87. However, the Hornets answered in the closing moments. Following a turnover, Mason converted a second-chance layup with 26 seconds remaining to give ASU an 89-88 lead,
The Bulldogs had two final opportunities in the closing seconds but were unable to convert, sealing the one-point defeat.
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to action on Tuesday against Grambling State. Tip-off against the Tigers is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the AAMU Event Center and streamed on SWAC TV.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics – Huntsville's only Division I program - check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics), Facebook (aamubulldogathletics), Twitter (@_aamuathletics) and TikTok (aamuathletics).
