Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The quarterfinals matchup between No. 3 seed Jackson State and No. 6 seed Prairie View A&M featured high emotions from the floor to the band members in the stands.

Ultimately, it took overtime to put a cap on the energy. The final surge belonged to the Tigers following a 62-60 victory in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bartow Arena in Birmingham.

Jackson State’s overall winning streak extends to four in a row. Its record now stands at 14-18.

The Tigers rallied from being down 28-16 at intermission and a 16-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Panthers. Head coach Mo Williams attributes the sluggish start to nerves. Once the team settled down, they consistently hit shots to mount their comeback.

“I thought this was a case of first-game jitters. We shot 17% in the first half and missed all our 3-pointers. We were more comfortable in the second half. The one thing we did from jump ball to finish was guard. We held them to 30% in both halves. That kept us in the game,” Williams said.

Jackson State’s 1-2 tandem of Ken Evans Jr. and Romelle Mansel made their presence felt on both ends of the court. Evans – a redshirt sophomore guard from Jackson – led all scorers with 22 points. He was 3 of 4 from behind the arc. This included banking the eventual game-winning 3-pointer from near the top of the key with just under a minute left on the clock. 

“That’s a shot I work on in the gym a lot by myself,” Evans said.

“I’ve been taking big shots since my freshman year in high school. I hit two game-winners in high school. I feel like I have ice in my veins.”

Mansel had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. He also altered several shots that the Panthers missed. On the flip side of euphoria is the despair with Prairie View A&M.

The Panthers were eliminated from the tournament in overtime for the second year in a row – on the same date of March 9.

“It’s difficult to lose – overtime or regulation. Last year’s game was different. We took our foot off the gas and got careless. This year, I thought we played hard. Jackson is a scrappy team,” Panthers head coach Byron Smith said.

“I thought we played well for 30-32 minutes. There was an eight-minute stretch when we didn’t and they got us in the end.”

Prairie View A&M graduate student guard Will Douglas led his team with 21 points. This season-ending loss drops the team’s record to 13-17.

Up Next
Jackson State advances to the semifinals. It will next face No. 2 seed Grambling State on Friday, March 10 at 8:30 p.m. (CST).
 
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.