Alabama State Defeats Bethune Cookman in Basketball

The Alabama State men’s basketball team defeated Bethune Cookman on Tuesday night, giving the Hornets their first win of the season. Alabama State was led by freshman guard LaDarius Tabb, who scored a game-high 21 points. Tabb was also named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Game.

Alabama State Defeats Bethune Cookman in Basketball

The Alabama State men’s Basketball team defeated Bethune Cookman 77-71, on Tuesday night at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome. The victory improves the Hornets’ record to 5-4 on the season.

Senior forward Roderick Lawrence led the way for Alabama State, scoring a game-high 21 points and adding eight rebounds. Junior guard Tyrese Hunter chipped in 14 points, while junior guard Josh Liddell added 12.

The Hornets return to action on Saturday, December 7 when they travel to Starkville, Mississippi to take on Mississippi State Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. CT.

The game

On Monday, the Alabama State men’s basketball team defeated Bethune Cookman 77-74. It was a hard-fought game that went down to the wire, with the Hornets coming out on top in the end.

The players

In basketball, each team consists of five players who each have unique skills and abilities that contribute to the team’s success. The Alabama State men’s Basketball team defeated Bethune-Cookman on December 21, 2020, thanks in large part to the contributions of their five starters.

Jahmal McMurray led the way for the Hornets, scoring 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting. He also added four rebounds and four assists in the victory. McMurray was joined in double figures by Reginald Gee, who chipped in 11 points off the bench.

The other three starters for Alabama State all had solid games as well. Tobi Ewuosho finished with eight points and eight rebounds, while Amir Smith scored seven points and grabbed six boards. Kendricus cervicali led the way defensively with four blocks in the game.

The coaches

Both teams’ coaches brought different strategies and differing levels of experience to the match up. Alabama State is led by Head Coach Lewis Jackson, who is in his first season with the program. Jackson was previously an Assistant Coach at Tuskegee University. Bethune Cookman is coached by Ryan Ridder, who is also in his first season as head coach Ridder has 17 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level, including stops as an assistant coach at Stetson University and the University of Central Florida.

The fans

The fans of both teams were electric throughout the course of the game, but it was the Alabama State fans that had the last laugh as their team came out victorious.

The aftermath

In the game, Alabama State led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but Bethune-Cookman closed to within five points in the final minute. The Wildcats then fouled Alabama State’s Justin Coleman, who made both Free throws to give the Hornets a 79-74 lead with 14 seconds remaining. After a Bethune-Cookman timeout, C.J. Williamson missed a three-point attempt and A.J. Johnson grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both Free throws with four seconds left to seal the victory for Alabama State.

The highlights

In a close game the Alabama State men’s basketball team pulled ahead of Bethune Cookman in the second half to win 62-60. The victory gives the Hornets an 8-5 record on the season.

Alabama State was led by senior guard Roderick Turner, who scored 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Turner also added four rebounds and three assists in the win. Junior forward Terence Lewis was also in double figures for Alabama State, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Bethune Cookman was led by senior guard Cesar Borgia, who scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Borgia also added four rebounds and two steals in the loss. Senior forward Isaiah Bailey was also in double figures for Bethune Cookman, scoring 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field.

The lowlights

It was a tough game for Bethune Cookman, as they were defeated by Alabama State 68-61. The lowlights of the game included poor shooting from the field and the Free Throw Line as well as some costly turnovers. Bethune Cookman will need to improve in these areas if they want to compete in their next game.

The future

The future looks bright for the Alabama State University men’s basketball team

The Hornets finished the season with a 16-15 record, but that does not tell the whole story. Alabama State was one of the youngest teams in the country, starting four freshmen and two sophomores most of the season.

Those six players will form the core of the team for the next two or three years and should help the Hornets contend for championships.

The past

The Alabama State men’s basketball team has a long and storied history, winning five NCAA Division I tournament appearances and four conference tournaments. The team’s most recent appearance in the NCAA tournament was in 2002, when they defeated the University of Central Florida in the first round before losing to the University of Alabama in the second round. The team has not won a conference tournament since 2001, when they were members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).