Final Boxscore
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama State placed four players in double-figures en route to an 83-69 victory over rival Alabama A&M Saturday night at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
Senior Menji Mundadi led the way for the Hornets (6-10, 3-2 SWAC) with a game-high 22 points while fellow senior Tramayne Moorer added an 18-point, career-best 17-rebound double-double. Tramaine Butler poured in a career-high 19 and Chris Duncan chipped in a personal-best 13.
Alabama A&M (4-9, 1-4) also had four players in double digits led by 12 points each from Cornelius Hester and Evan Hilton.
“This was a great win for our team,” said ASU head coach Lewis Jackson, who improves to 9-1 against A&M in his tenure. “We knew this would be a physical game. I am very proud of how we battled and were able to earn this victory.”
Alabama State used a 9-0 run to take an early 11-2 lead through the first four minutes of the game. Moorer keyed the surge by the Hornets scoring six of the nine points. ASU built a double-digit lead, 16-6, with 14:38 left in the first half after a three-pointer by Ryan Watts.
The Bulldogs answered with a 13-1 run of their own over the next seven minutes to take a 19-17 lead with 7:22 remaining in the period. Bo Amusa scored the final four points of the A&M rally and then added a free throw and a dunk as the Bulldogs pushed their advantage to four points with 4:19 to play.
Back-to-back baskets from Butler including a thunderous dunk on a rebound putback pulled the Hornets to within two with a little more than two minutes left in the opening stanza. Mundadi then connected on a driving layup making the deficit one point. ASU would regain the lead on its next possession as Duncan tipped in a rebound.
The two squads traded baskets over the final minute before Mundadi connected on his first trey of the game at the buzzer sending the Hornets into the half with a 34-30 advantage.
The Hornets swarmed out of the gate in the second half using a 22-8 run to build a 56-38 lead with 12:21 to play.
The Bulldogs turned up the intensity on their pressure defense sparking a 12-0 run to close their deficit to just six points, 56-50, following a pair of fastbreak dunks by Maurice Kemp. A pair of free throws by Ivory White halted the A&M surge.
ASU got things settled down and slowly rebuilt its advantage to double figures as Mundadi drilled a deep three from the right corner with 6:01 left, capping an 8-0 run and giving the Hornets a 67-55 edge.
Bama State kept a comfortable lead the rest of the game making six free throws and a pair of easy baskets in the final minute to thwart any AAMU rally.
For the game, ASU shot a season high 55.6 percent from the floor making 30 of 54 shots while holding A&M to just 37 percent (23-62). The Hornets also held a 46-20 advantage on the glass turning 18 offensive rebounds into 28 second-chance points.
Following a week off from competition, Alabama State returns to SWAC action with a pair of road games at Alcorn State (Jan. 23) and Southern (Jan. 25).