HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The W men's basketball gave its fans a sneak-peak for the upcoming 2026-27 season with an exhibition game versus NCAA Division I opponent, Alabama A&M University on Friday evening at the AAMU Event Center. The Owls dropped a 103-47 decision to its upper-division brethren Bulldogs.
A lopsided result is not that uncommon when a non-scholarship D3 team ventures into the land of D1's bigger budgets, athletics financial aid, and NIL agreements. But the MUW squad certainly reaped benefits against AAMU, as the Owls prepare for their official season lid-lifter on Tuesday (November 10 at Huntingdon College).
"I think the guys did well just playing hard for it to be our first game against a different team," first-year MUW Head Coach
Bernard Hopkins, surmised after weeks of facing just each other in Pohl Gym. "Alabama A&M is a pretty good Division I basketball team; super athletic, very big; overall a really good team and well coach. I think the atmosphere of an (NCAA Division I) arena might've surprised some of our guys."
In the first half, especially the first 11 minutes or so, The W seemed unfazed by any of the circumstances. The Owls were within single digits, down 20-12, with 8:57 left in the opening half after a pair of free throws by newcomer
Evrad Makendi. But the Bulldogs' size advantage helped it expand that cushion to a 23-point cushion, 46-23, by the intermission and expanding that in the second half.
From The W's perspective, Hopkins was focused on the "how" and not the "how much." All 16 of his available players saw action, with 10 of those playing double-digit minutes. Only
Joe Haze Austin (30 minutes played) was on the floor more than half the game time.
Austin, a returning player from last year's SLIAC tournament champion and NCAA III playoff team, neared double-double territory with 8 points and 9 rebounds. He also had one block, a steal, and an assist on his ledger.
Fellow returning player,
Tyler Shephard, also booked 8 points. Shephard had an outstanding all-around effort, chipping in 5 steals, 2 assists, and a block, as well
Makendi had 7 points, to go along with 4 blocked shots.
Ridge Harrison, who is from Town Creek, Ala., had 6 points in his return to his home state.
"The things we need to work on are executing the offense, eliminating unforced turnovers, boxing out and rebounding," Hopkins reflected. "Overall, I was very pleased on how the guys were trying to respond. I think we missed some opportunities in the first half. We have the opportunity now to look at video on the good things we did and the mistakes we made, and how to correct them."
