Tuskegee, Ala. - The Tuskegee men's basketball team picked up an 85-82 victory over North Alabama on Tuesday night, snapping a three-game losing streak while earning a hard-fought win during their first scheduled home contest in the process.  Elliot Dean and Javier McKinney were the leading scorers for the duo, which had 24 and 19 points, respectively.  Even though the Lions shot a better shooting percentage for the game (50 to 42 percent), the Golden Tigers were able to a halftime deficit of as many as seven points in the half to rally back and earn the comeback victory.

A senior guard from Mansfield, Texas, Dean shot 9-of-17 from the field and also managed to earn a team-high five assists in the process.  Even though Tuskegee shot a lower percentage, the Golden Tigers managed to shoot the ball 20 more times from the field, as they outpaced the LIons shooing at a 70-50 margin from the field.  Tuskegee was also able to over come a 42-30 rebounding advantage from UNA.  Four different Lions scored in double-figures, as Jere Vucica and Bruce Adams each finished with 17 points to lead the visitors.  

The victory is the first for the Golden Tigers since picking up a season-opening win against Virginia Union at the HBCU Tipoff Classic, which was played in the second week of November on the campus of Morehouse College.  Tuskegee picked up a 102-94 victory in that game, before dropping their other two games in Atlanta by a combined total of six points.  The largest loss of the early season came late last week against South Carolina-Aiken in a 93-67 setback.

Tuskegee and North Alabama will see each other again Saturday, in what will go down as a full day of athletic competition between the two schools in Florence.  Both teams will complete the home-and-home series, with the basketball game set to tipoff at 5:00 p.m., after being pushed back from its' initial 3:00 p.m. start.  General access tickets are $10, with student tickets available for $5.  North Alabama is holding a special promotion that will allow access to both the basketball game on Satuday night, as well as admission to Tuskegee's first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs in football.  Kickoff in that game will begin at Noon, from Braly Municipal Stadium.

Tickets for the football-basketball doubleheader can be obtained by calling the Tuskegee University Ticket Office at (334) 727-8594.