Aggies hope to avoid upset in clash with visiting Braves

Nov 30, 2011 - 3:54 PM College Station, TX (Sports Network) - The 25th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies are set for what appears to be a non-conference mismatch with the Alcorn State Braves.

A member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Alcorn State enters this game with a disappointing 1-5 record. The most recent outing for the team took place on Sunday against New Orleans and resulted in a 63-56 defeat.

Texas A&M of the Big 12 Conference opened the season with two straight wins before falling to Mississippi State by a 69-60 final. To the credit of the Aggies, they have bounced back to secure consecutive victories over St. John's and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. That triumph over TAMCC came by a 56-43 final on Saturday.

The Aggies have won both of their previous meetings with Alcorn State, including a 32-point romp over the Braves last season.

It is evident through the first six games of the season that Alcorn State lacks a consistent scoring threat. In the most recent game against New Orleans, the Braves shot a woeful 6-of-24 from the field in the first half and trailed by 17 points at intermission. Sure, they were a far more efficient 42.1 percent from the floor in the second half, but there was no chance of them overcoming the huge intermission deficit. Alcorn State hit a grand total of two three-pointers in the clash and forced a mere eight turnovers. Twann Oakley was the most productive player for the Braves, as he netted 16 points in the affair. Chris Brand had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while KeDorian Sullivan registered 10 points and 11 boards. Oakley is averaging 10.2 ppg to date.

The leading scorer for A&M through five games is Ray Turner, who is netting 14.2 ppg on 64 percent shooting from the field. Elston Turner checks in with 12.4 ppg, and David Loubeau rounds out a trio of double-digit scorers with 10.2 ppg. The Aggies are generating 67.6 ppg on 50 percent field goal efficiency, and they are holding foes to 57.2 ppg on 35.4 percent shooting. Texas A&M is also outrebounding opponents by nearly seven boards per contest. In the 13-point win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Aggies shot 57.9 percent from the floor in the first half, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, and led by 14 at intermission. They were able to hold on for the victory despite a far less impressive effort in the second half. Elston Turner paced his team with 14 points in that affair.