Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics
HATTIESBURG, Miss. | Jackson State had three players in double figures but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell 92-85 in overtime to Southern Miss at Reed Green Coliseum in an exhibition game on Monday night.
Juan Reyna III led Jackson State with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor including five three-pointers. Jalen Tatum added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jayme Mitchell Jr. added 14.
The Tigers finished the night shooting 44.4 (28-of-63) percent from the floor and 47.8 (11-of-23) percent from beyond the arc, while also shooting 64.3 (18-of-28) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Southern Miss finished the night shooting 44.6 (29-of-65) percent from the floor and just 19.0 (4-of-21) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 73.2 (31-of-40) percent from the free throw line.
The two teams traded baskets after Southern Miss tied the game at 67-all, including taking its first lead in the second half at 69-67. Dorian McMillian gave the Tigers the lead back at 70-69 with just under three minutes to play before Southern Miss scored on back-to-back possessions to take a 72-70 lead with 1:39 to play.
Tatum went to the line and knocked down one of two for the Tigers to trim the lead to 72-71 with 1:19 to play before the Golden Eagles knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:19 to play to extend the lead to 74-71. Jackson State answered with a tip-in from Shannon Grant to pull within one before a foul was called on the defensive end resulting in two more free throws from the Golden Eagles to extend the lead to 76-73 with 46.9 seconds remaining.
Reyna hit a three-pointer with a pair of defenders draped on him to tie the game at 76-all with 25.0 seconds remaining and the Tigers held on to force overtime. In the overtime period, the two teams traded baskets and free throws until Southern Miss took an 86-82 lead with 1:13 remaining on a three-pointer.
How It Happened
- Jackson State went on an 8-0 run over 2:42 in the opening half to take an 11-6 lead after falling behind 6-3, shooting 55.6 (5-of-9) percent in the process. The Tigers took an 11-8 lead with 14:20 to play in the first half at the first media timeout, with four different players scoring.
- The Tigers extended the lead to 19-8 with 12:12 to play in the first half forcing a Southern Miss timeout with a 16-2 run. The Tigers were shooting 53.5 (8-of-15) percent from the floor at the time.
- Jackson State continued to pressure Southern, forcing them into seven turnovers in the first 12:01 of the game, taking a 25-13 lead at the third media timeout (7:59).
- The Tigers called their first timeout of the half with 4:29 to play and holding a 35-21 lead after shooting 50.0 (12-of-24) percent from the floor and 40.0 (4-of-10) percent from beyond the arc.
- Jackson State grabbed a 15-point lead at the half at 45-30 behind 51.7 (15-of-29) percent shooting from the floor and 46.2 (6-of-13) percent from beyond the arc. They also held Southern Miss to just 32.3 (10-of-21) percent from the floor and 16.7 (2-of-12) percent from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
- Jackson State called an early timeout in the second half after the two teams traded baskets with the Tigers leading 47-32, and they increased the lead to 16 (54-38) with 15:55 to play in the game shooting 42.9 (3-of-7) percent from the floor to start the second half.
- Southern Miss went on a 9-0 run over a span of 4:18 to trim the Tigers’ lead to 57-47 with 12:28 to play, forcing Jackson State into four turnovers. The run ended with a free throw from Cowandric Samuel to push the lead to 58-47, before Southern Miss trimmed the lead to seven with 10:45 remaining (58-51).
- Although struggling from the field midway through the second half, Jackson State held on to a nine-point lead at 64-55 shooting just 35.3 percent from the floor with 7:45 remaining in the game.
- Southern Miss went on a 12-0 run over 3:03 in the second half to tie the game at 67-all on a three-pointer prior to the final media timeout of the game.
- The Golden Eagles took their first lead in the second half with just over three minutes to play (69-68) before a steal and dunk by McMillian.
- Reyna and Mitchell combined for 20 of the Tigers’ first 45 points, going a combined 7-of-10 from the floor and connected on five three-pointers in the opening half.
Game Notes
- Jackson State went with McMillian, Tatum, Keiveon Hunt, Mitchell, and Grant in the starting lineup.
- The Tigers lost the tip for the second consecutive game.
- Jackson State’s first substitution involved a fresh five with 16:20 to play in the opening half that included Reyna, Dylan Canoville, Samuel, Marcus Watson Jr., and Tamarion Hoover.
- Reyna hit his first three shots of the game including a pair of three-pointers after missing the first exhibition game in just four minutes. He finished the first half with 12 points connecting on all four of his field goals (three three-pointers), his only miss was from the free throw line.
- The Tigers raced out to a 25-13 lead midway through the first half, holding Southern Miss to no field goals in three minutes of action, and holding them to just one field goal in 11 field goal attempts during the span.
- Jackson State held the lead for 34:18 before a run in the second half from Southern Miss gave the Golden Eagles a 69-67 lead.
Up Next
Jackson State opens the regular season on the road next Monday, Nov. 4 at No. 4 Houston, with the game airing on ESPN+.