Plan A for Alabama State was to slow down the fast-paced game of rival Alabama A&M. Plan B for the Hornets was to run with the Bulldogs.
Neither worked.
A&M won both college basketball games between the teams this season, by widely different scores, and cruised to the regular-season championship of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The in-state rivals meet again for the third time in today's 11 a.m. title game of the SWAC Tournament at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. A berth in the NCAA Tournament is the prize for the winner.
"Two different games, two different scenarios," A&M coach Vann Pettaway said, reflecting on the regular-season meetings.
"They ran with us in the second game. They didn't in the first one."
Today, Pettaway said, "We're expecting the unexpected."
State coach Rob Spivery indicated he's going back to Plan A.
"I don't think we'll try to run with them this time, unless the game situation calls for it," Spivery said. "I would prefer not to. We certainly can't allow them to play that fast pace like they would like. We want to keep the score somewhere in the 50s."
The seedings held in the SWAC Tournament to make for the all-Alabama final. Top seed Alabama A&M (17-13) knocked off Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State. Alabama State (15-14), the No. 2 seed, advanced with victories over Prairie View and Southern.
The matchup is classic between A&M, the league's top scoring team at 69.6 points a game, and State, the league's top defensive team, allowing just 61.5 a game.
Pettaway is worried about having to beat State a third time in one season.
"Any coach will tell you they dread that," he said. "Your players relax, become overconfident."
A&M won the first meeting 59-52 at home, then prevailed in the up-tempo second game 96-93 at State.
"Their style had been to slow down the game," Pettaway said. "They are very deliberate. So in the second game, we had worked on speeding up the play. Then the tempo was there. Our game plan went out the window the first minute and a half of the game. We didn't expect that."
Both teams worked out at Birmingham-Southern's Bill Battle Coliseum on Saturday.
At stake for A&M is the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament in Division I play. The Bulldogs, a powerhouse in Division II, made it to the Elite Eight three straight years at that level. This season's SWAC title was the school's first since moving to Division I and joining the league in 1996.
State is looking for its third trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets beat the Bulldogs in the SWAC Tournament last year, then lost to Duke in the NCAA first round.
Spivery is hoping to nurse two top players back to health for today's game. Leading scorer Ralfeal Golden played only a few minutes in Friday's game with a knee injury. Spivery said Golden was still limping in Saturday's workout.
Alexander Oliver missed the workout completely with the flu.
"It would certainly be a blow to play without either one of those guys," Spivery said.
A&M counters with the SWAC's top player, guard Obie Trotter, who was voted both the league's top offensive and defensive player. When Trotter goes out, the league's top freshman, Marcus Jones, comes in.
Neither worked.
A&M won both college basketball games between the teams this season, by widely different scores, and cruised to the regular-season championship of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The in-state rivals meet again for the third time in today's 11 a.m. title game of the SWAC Tournament at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. A berth in the NCAA Tournament is the prize for the winner.
"Two different games, two different scenarios," A&M coach Vann Pettaway said, reflecting on the regular-season meetings.
"They ran with us in the second game. They didn't in the first one."
Today, Pettaway said, "We're expecting the unexpected."
State coach Rob Spivery indicated he's going back to Plan A.
"I don't think we'll try to run with them this time, unless the game situation calls for it," Spivery said. "I would prefer not to. We certainly can't allow them to play that fast pace like they would like. We want to keep the score somewhere in the 50s."
The seedings held in the SWAC Tournament to make for the all-Alabama final. Top seed Alabama A&M (17-13) knocked off Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State. Alabama State (15-14), the No. 2 seed, advanced with victories over Prairie View and Southern.
The matchup is classic between A&M, the league's top scoring team at 69.6 points a game, and State, the league's top defensive team, allowing just 61.5 a game.
Pettaway is worried about having to beat State a third time in one season.
"Any coach will tell you they dread that," he said. "Your players relax, become overconfident."
A&M won the first meeting 59-52 at home, then prevailed in the up-tempo second game 96-93 at State.
"Their style had been to slow down the game," Pettaway said. "They are very deliberate. So in the second game, we had worked on speeding up the play. Then the tempo was there. Our game plan went out the window the first minute and a half of the game. We didn't expect that."
Both teams worked out at Birmingham-Southern's Bill Battle Coliseum on Saturday.
At stake for A&M is the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament in Division I play. The Bulldogs, a powerhouse in Division II, made it to the Elite Eight three straight years at that level. This season's SWAC title was the school's first since moving to Division I and joining the league in 1996.
State is looking for its third trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets beat the Bulldogs in the SWAC Tournament last year, then lost to Duke in the NCAA first round.
Spivery is hoping to nurse two top players back to health for today's game. Leading scorer Ralfeal Golden played only a few minutes in Friday's game with a knee injury. Spivery said Golden was still limping in Saturday's workout.
Alexander Oliver missed the workout completely with the flu.
"It would certainly be a blow to play without either one of those guys," Spivery said.
A&M counters with the SWAC's top player, guard Obie Trotter, who was voted both the league's top offensive and defensive player. When Trotter goes out, the league's top freshman, Marcus Jones, comes in.
