Moorer scores 18 to lead Alabama State to 56-45 victory over Alabama A&M in SWAC quarterfinals

Alabama State defeats Alabama A&M 56-45 in SWAC

BOSSIER CITY, La. — Tramayne Moorer scored 18 points as Alabama State defeated Alabama A&M 56-45 Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

The third-seeded Hornets (16-14) advance to play second-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff (15-15) in the semifinals on Friday. The teams split the regular-season series.

Alabama State, which posted its eighth straight victory over Alabama A&M (11-16), also eliminated the Bulldogs in last year’s SWAC tournament on the way to the title.

Sixth-seeded Alabama A&M, which was last in the SWAC in field goal percentage in the regular season, missed all 12 3-pointers and shot 26 percent from the field (14-for-53).

Cornelius Hester led the Bulldogs with 13 points.

The Hornets’ 27-18 halftime advantage was cut to two in the opening 2 minutes of the second half. Alabama State then pushed the lead to 14 at the 10-minute mark.