Evansville cruises to 81-63 win over Alabama State

Dec 21, 2014, 06:04 pm

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Egidijus Mockevicius scored 25 points, hauled in 12 rebounds and Evansville coasted to an 81-63 win over Alabama State on Sunday.

D.J. Balentine added 20 points and dished out seven assists, while Blake Simmons had 11 points for Evansville (9-2), which shot 50 percent from the floor and forced 17 turnovers. It was Balentine's seventh consecutive game with at least 20 points.

Alabama State (3-5) rallied to take a 49-47 advantage into the break, then opened the second half with a 6-0 surge capped by Maurice Strong's dunk that made it 55-47 with 17:43 left. But the Hornets went cold, scoring just eight points over the final 15 1/2 minutes, and Evansville took control with an 18-2 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from Simmons to recapture the lead.

Jamel Waters and Luther Page led Alabama State with 13 points apiece.