Alcorn can clinch SWAC title tonight

Published 12:00 am Monday, February 28, 2000

Alcorn State can clinch the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship when the Braves host Texas Southern today at 7:30 p.m.

Brian Adams scored 24 points and Wallace Harris had 16 to lead Alcorn State to a 106-96 win over Prairie View on Saturday in Lorman.

Adams made 10-of-14 shots and Alcorn (17-9, 14-3 in SWAC) shot 58 percent for the game.

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Southern was beaten by Texas Southern 80-72 Saturday to fall to 13-4 in the SWAC. Southern hosts Prairie View today.

The Braves got 57 points from their bench and 29 off turnovers.

Marcus Fleming of Fayette scored 15 points and Corey Mangum had 13 for the Braves.

Gregory Burks led Prairie View (6-17, 4-10) with 26 points. Roderick Riley added 15 for the Panthers.

The Braves currently hold the fourth-best home winning streak (25 games) and can finish unbeaten at home for the second straight year tonight.

The 2000 Southwestern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament is set for March 9-11 in Biloxi.

Alcorn defeated Texas Southern 70-67 in Houston earlier this year.

Guard Devin Pack had a career high 14 points in that win. Marcus Fleming of Fayette added 14.

&uot;It is no pushover with Texas Southern because they are coming back to Mississippi and they have a lot of Mississippi kids,&uot; said Alcorn head coach Davey Whitney. &uot;We have to defend our turf.&uot;

Whitney said the Braves need to get help from every player to finish on top.

In the home win against Southern, Fleming sat out most of the contest because of foul trouble.

&uot;That should be an inspiration to our team and what we have been trying to tell them all year long, that one man doesn’t make this ball club,&uot; Whitney said. &uot;The team should have confidence that we have people who can come off the bench and play and contribute to our team’s success.&uot;

Alcorn won the SWAC Tournament last year, defeating Southern on its own home court. The Braves lost to Stanford 69-57 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The SWAC Tournament winner receives an automatic bid of the tournament.

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