Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 5 seed Alabama A&M punched the last ticket to the semifinals after defeating No. 4 seed Southern 77-63 of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham.
 
With this win in the conference tournament’s quarterfinals, Alabama A&M clinched a 3-0 record versus Southern for the 2022-23 season. The earlier wins were 82-61 on Feb. 4 and 68-65 on March 4.
 
“I didn’t want to play Southern because of the familiarity. They see you and know you,” Alabama A&M head coach Otis Hughley Jr. said.
 
“They’re bigger and stronger in some areas. But it didn’t matter to our guys. For whatever reason, by God’s grace, our guys prevailed.”
 
The Bulldogs maintained control from start to finish in this clash.
 
Their largest lead grew to 22 midway through the second half. This overall output combined power in the paint and sharp 3-point shooting accuracy.  
 
Graduate student guard Messiah Thompson set the tone for his team with a game-high 27 points. He hit on 8 of 13 from the field and 5 of 9 from behind the arc.
 
“Messiah is emblematic of our growth. He was a two-guard trapped in a point guard’s body. Now, he manages the game at such a high level,” Hughley said.
 
The Jaguars clawed back into contention, cutting the deficit to 56-47 with 6:12 on the clock. But over the next possessions, the schools either traded makes or misses.
 
These squandered opportunities by Southern resulted in free throw attempts by Alabama A&M to pad the lead as time expired.
 
“We didn’t shoot the ball well in this game. It took us forever to get our juices flowing,” Southern head coach Sean Woods said.
 
“We are capable of going on 12-0 runs. But you’re not going to go on 25-0 runs. We cut it to 10 because we’re not going to stop fighting. We just couldn’t make enough shots.”
 
Bulldogs senior guard Garrett Hicks was second on the team scoring chart with 10 points.
 
Southern’s leading producer was Brion Whitley. The Second-Team All-SWAC selection finished with 18 points and four rebounds.  
 
Up Next
Alabama A&M will face No. 8 seed Texas Southern – the two-time defending SWAC champions in the semifinals. This game is set for Friday, March 10 at 2 p.m.
 
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.