Grambling State defeated Jackson State in the 2023 SWAC Tournament by a score of 78-69 on Friday night. The Tigers went into halftime with a 36-34 lead, but were unable to hang on, as the Tigers outscored them by 11 points in the final 20 minutes.
Shawndarius Cowart scored 18 points to lead the way for GSU. That performance included an impressive 16 points in the second half to ignite the team down the stretch. Grambling State’s offense as a whole came out of the break with new energy. The team shot 54% from the field in the second half, scoring 1.33 points per possession. This was a big improvement from the team’s 52% shooting and 1.16 points per possession in the first half.
JSU was led by Coltie Young, who put up 18 points. The Tigers shot 23-of-61 from the field and 8-of-27 from behind the arc. That contributed to their average of 1.02 points per possession and 48 percent true shooting, which wasn’t enough to secure the win.
GSU showed once again that it is a dangerous team. A March 11 conference clash with Texas Southern is the Tigers’ next test. Texas Southern will be looking for its third consecutive SWAC Tournament title. Grambling State has never won a SWAC Tournament title. On the other side, this loss marks a return to earth for JSU after a run of great play. The team will have to wait until next year for redemption, as this was its final game of the season.
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