HOUSTON -- Wendell Lewis had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Maurice Strong added 10 and 13 to help second-seeded Alabama State beat Mississippi Valley State 93-81 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Jamel Waters scored 20, DeMarcus Robinson 15 and Bobby Brown added 13 points for Alabama State (19-9), which will face either third-seeded Southern or No. 6 seed Alabama A&M in a semifinal game on Friday.

The Hornets opened the second half with a 12-2 run which gave them a 62-48 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Seventh-seeded MVSU (6-26), which made just 12 of 33 (36 percent) second-half field goals, trailed by double figures the rest of the way.

Isaac Williams paced the Delta Devils with 19 points.

Alabama State, which is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to a failure to meet the NCAA's APR requirements, outrebounded MVSU 50-33 and shot 51 percent from the field.