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2022-2023 Basketball

Tougaloo MBB to continue NAIA title hunt in round of 16

The Bulldogs are headed to the round of 16 on an 18 game win streak.

Courtesy of GCAC communications

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Wednesday evening, in front of a revved-up crowd in New Orleans at Loyola, Tougaloo Bulldogs punched their ticket to the 2023 NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship Round of 16 after defeating Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) 75-62. The win marks the 18th in a row for the Bulldogs. 

The hotly contested matchup came on the heels of SAGU upsetting the No. 3 seed and NAIA defending champions Loyola (La.), and saw Tougaloo suffer an early, 12-point deficit in the first half. The Bulldogs went on an 8-2 run before Trajan Fielder pulled up and drained a three to pull Tougaloo within four (20-24). SAGU turned over the ball and Fielder’s hand stayed hot as he knocked down a jumper. On SAGU’s next possession, Darryl Jones tallied a blocked shot on SAGU’s Philbert Weekes and Fielder hit a transition three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 25-24 edge with 5:51 to play in the first half. Tougaloo ended the first stanza of play on a 11-6 run to take a 36-30 lead at the half.

The Bulldogs and Lions traded three-pointers to start the second half, and the Lions would pull within three (43-46), but Tougaloo stayed on top, knocking down three-pointers and cashing in on SAGU missed shots. Fielder nailed another three-pointer with 8:42 to play in the game to give the Bulldogs a 60-49 lead. Defensive pressure and second-chance points lifted Tougaloo in the final few minutes of the contest, and they sealed the 75-62 win to advance to the men’s Round of 16 in Kansas City, Mo.

Tougaloo

Fielder led all scorers with 25 points, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs shot an impressive 40% in threes and 40% from the field for the game. SAGU’s Weekes and Tougaloo’s Darryl Jones snatched a game-high 14 rebounds each, while Cameron Copeland (Tougaloo) sparked the offense with a career-high 16 assists.

Tougaloo heads to Kansas City, Mo. for a matinee contest against No. 10 seed St. Thomas (Fla.) Monday, March 13. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. CT. Tickets are available online and at the door. Media are invited to apply for credentials to cover the Bulldogs’ title run.

Tougaloo MBB to continue NAIA title hunt in round of 16
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