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Saturday evening was a heated battle between of two of the best SWAC teams. Southern came out on top, handing Alcorn State an 80-68 loss in Baton Rouge in a game that ended with the two teams being separated by officials.
The two teams had to be separated walking off the court, which was sparked after Southern’s Festus Ndumanya dunked late in the game and Alcorn State head coach Landon Bussie took exception to it.
“The game permitted that. It was a statement, it got emotional and that’s what happens,” Southern head coach Sean Woods said after the game. “It wasn’t to show them up or anything like that – we didn’t want to do that. It was a chippy game. It was an important game.”
The Jags got off to a good start, going into halftime with a 36-30 lead. They then continued to outscore the Braves 44-38 in the second half to come away with the victory.
Brion Whitley led the way for SU, putting up 27 points. It wasn’t just Whitley though, the Jags’ offense was humming on all cylinders, pouring in 1.07 points per possession on 55 percent shooting from the field. The transition game was a big factor in their success, 26 of the team’s points came on the fast break.
Alcorn was led by Byron Joshua, who recorded 15 points and five boards. The Braves shot 25-of-63 from the field and 8-of-30 from behind the arc. In total, their overall offensive efficiency wasn’t great, and was a major factor in the loss. They scored just 0.93 points per possession on 46 percent true shooting.
These teams will have little time to prep for their next test, as each plays next on Jan. 31. Southern takes on Jackson State, while Alcorn State squares off with a Grambling State side riding high from a victory in its last outing. The Jags will look to keep their winning streak intact. On the other side, the Braves will hit the road once again.
This content was produced using Artificial Intelligence technology before being approved and published by HBCU Gameday. Sam Quick is a moniker for our AI technology and is not an actual person.