Preview: Alcorn State Braves at Texas Southern Tigers HOUSTON (Interstat) — A tight Southwest Athletic Conference race continues Thursday when the Texas Southern Tigers host the Alcorn State Braves in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball matchup at Health & P.E. Arena. Both teams enter the contest looking to build momentum in the final stretch of the regular season. Texas Southern (10-16, 8-5 SWAC) sits in the upper half of the conference standings, while Alcorn State (7-19, 6-7) aims to climb back to .500 in league play. The Tigers seek to rebound from a narrow 72-71 road loss at Mississippi Valley State last Saturday. Guard Duane Posey led Texas Southern with 17 points in that defeat. Posey, a player to watch for the Tigers, has shown scoring flashes, including a 17-point effort last week, but his minutes and production have varied in recent outings. Alcorn State arrives in Houston with confidence after an 83-65 home victory over Jackson State, powered by a dominant performance from forward Tycen McDaniels. The Braves’ standout scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in that win, solidifying his status as the team’s primary threat. Over his last seven games, McDaniels is averaging 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, including two double-doubles. This game is a quick rematch of a Jan. 17 thriller in Lorman, Mississippi, where Texas Southern escaped with a 72-71 victory. The Tigers have won four of their last six games overall, while the Braves have split their last six contests. Texas Southern holds a record of 7-3 at home this season, while Alcorn State is 3-11 in true road games. The Tigers will look to leverage that home-court advantage to sweep the season series. The matchup pits Alcorn State’s recent surge, led by McDaniels, against a Texas Southern team fighting to solidify its conference tournament positioning. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CST Thursday.