When Alcorn State returns to its home floor at the Davy Whitney Complex next season, the Braves will be sporting a 26-game home winning streak, which ranks among the top five in the nation.

One reason for the streak, besides the fact the Braves are very talented, is the &uot;War Party.&uot;

The &uot;War Party&uot; originated last season, but made its presence known this past season.

The group of about 15 backers, which is sure to grow next year, wear purple &uot;War Party&uot; T-shirts to games.

The group consists of Alcorn students, faculty and staff members whose sole purpose is to motivate the Braves and harass the opposing team’s players and the officials during the course of the game.

Alcorn trainer Carlos Evers of Natchez is one of the co-founders of the vocal group.

Alcorn Athletic Academic Advisor Eric Steele is the other co-founder.

&uot;My role in the ‘War Party’ is to make sure that our heckling is in good fun and that we maintain the positive image of the university,&uot;&160;Steele said. &uot;The ‘War Party’ was born through the love of having fun by a group of guys who started sitting together and the concept was born from that. We decided to move forward and an individual offered to purchase shirts to recognize the official members.&uot;

Member Stacey &uot;power&uot; Mims of Decatur, Ga., said although the &uot;War Party&uot; claims its sole purpose is to motivate the Braves to get inside of the opposing players’ heads, there is also a certain bond between the players and the fans.

&uot;Our sole purpose to to motivate our team and get into the opposing players’ heads,&uot; Mims said. &uot;&uot;We do get on the official, but try to handle ourselves in a cordial, friendly manner. We will welcome you into our arena, but we are going to let you know that you are going to be in for a long night.&uot;

The group is planning to be in Biloxi this week for the SWAC Tournament.

&uot;We are going to be in Biloxi for sure and we will try to get as close as we possibly can to the floor when Alcorn is playing,&uot; Mims said.

Alcorn President Dr.&160;Clinton Bristow was officially inducted into the club during the Mississippi Valley game on Feb. 5.

If two current trends hold up, Bristow, Evers and crew will have plenty to cheer about.

In the past two seasons, Alcorn’s regular season record against conference teams stands at 31-5.

Two of the wins included victories over Alabama A&M which did not count in the league’s standings during the 1998-99 season.

Considering that the SWAC Tournament will be held at Biloxi, the Braves should have an edge.

During this past regular season, the Braves posted an 11-3 record in the state of Mississippi, including a seven-game winning streak.

A few key statistics to keep an eye on for the tournament:

The Braves are 1-1 on neutral courts. Alcorn is 11-0 at home and 6-8 on the road.

The Braves are 17-0 when they outscore opponents in the first half, but 1-9 when they trail at halftime.

Alcorn is 11-4 when they attempt more field goals than their opponent and 10-2 when they attempt more free throws.

When Fayette product Marcus Fleming leads the team in scoring, the Braves are 10-6.

When the Braves either out-rebound their opponent or have more assists, they are 15-1.

Joey Martin is sports editor of The Democrat. He can be reached by calling 446-5172 ext. 232 or at joey.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.