Alcorn St. @ Vanderbilt preview

Vanderbilt looks to build some momentum when it hosts Alcorn State on Friday in its final non-conference game before Southeastern Conference play begins. The Commodores snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday with a rout of Houston Baptist, while the Braves have won three of four - including an easy victory over Blue Mountain College on Monday.

Senior guard A.J. Mosby leads Alcorn State in scoring (13.3 points) and assists (3.9) and has averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 assists and five rebounds over the team's last two contests - both victories. Vanderbilt has three double-digit scorers who have accounted for more than half of the team's 69.4 points per game. Forward Jeff Roberson leads the way with 13.8 points and also averages a team-best 8.7 rebounds. Guards Matthew Fisher-Davis and Riley LaChance produce 11.7 and 11.3 points, respectively, for coach Bryce Drew and have combined for 44 of the team's 81 3-pointers.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus

ABOUT ALCORN STATE (4-8): Most schools from the Southwestern Athletic Conference play a difficult non-conference schedule, as they are easy prey for the power conference teams seeking a blowout win. The Braves have gone away from that a bit this season, winning four of their last six because they're playing smaller colleges at home as they try to build momentum for conference play, which begins on New Year's Day. It seems to have helped, as the team stayed close with Iowa State early this month before falling on the road, but the proof will be when it starts playing other SWAC schools after taking on Vanderbilt.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (4-7): The Commodores had the SEC's top 3-point shooting percentage last season at .376, but they entered their game against Houston Baptist ranked last in the conference after hitting 28.5 percent from beyond the arc. But Vanderbilt may have found its shooting eye, hitting a season-high 12 3-pointers after players spent extra time practicing long-distance shooting since classes ended for the holiday break. Fisher-Davis went 5-for-9 from 3-point range and LaChance was 3-for-4 as the Commodores looked more like last season's team.

TIP-INS

1. The Commodores only allowed 17 points in the first half of their win over Houston Baptist, the lowest total in any half by an opponent this season.

2. Vanderbilt G Maxwell Evans scored a career-best 14 points off the bench in the win over the Huskies.

3. The Commodores grabbed a season-best 45 rebounds against Houston Baptist, with Roberson grabbing 10 boards as part of his SEC-leading sixth double-double.

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 82, Alcorn State 70