Saturday brought separation atop the SWAC men’s basketball standings, with key wins at the top and important movement in the middle of the pack. Bethune-Cookman stayed in control, while several teams tightened the race behind the Wildcats.
Bethune-Cookman 69, Alabama State 54
Bethune-Cookman handled business with a steady, two-way performance and held Alabama State to 38% shooting. Jakobi Heady led the Wildcats with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Doctor Bradley added 13 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Alabama State got 16 points from Micah Simpson, but turnovers and cold perimeter shooting (4-of-18 from three) kept the Hornets from closing the gap.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 78, Mississippi Valley State 70
UAPB picked up a valuable road-style win thanks to balance and free-throw production. Milhan Charles powered the Golden Lions with 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Quion Williams added 19 points and Jaquan Scott chipped in 11. Mississippi Valley State got a big night from Michael James (25 points) and Daniel Mayfield (15 points, 7 rebounds), but UAPB’s ability to get to the line (24-of-34) helped seal it.
Grambling 69, Jackson State 66
Grambling edged Jackson State in a tight one, surviving a huge scoring night from JSU’s Daeshun Ruffin, who erupted for 38 points and lived at the free-throw line (14-of-17). Grambling answered with a strong team effort led by Rickey Ballard (15 points) and Antonio Munoz (15 points off the bench). The Tigers also got big contributions on the glass and in ball movement, helping them finish the close game.
Alcorn State 78, Southern 73
Alcorn State landed one of Saturday’s most important results, knocking off Southern behind elite shooting and efficient scoring. The Braves hit 57% from the field and got 22 points from Shane Lancaster, who knocked down 4 threes and added 5 assists. Jameel Morris scored 12, and Alcorn’s bench helped push the pace. Southern was led by Terrance Dixon Jr. with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while DaMariee Jones added 14, but Alcorn’s offense was simply sharper in the biggest stretches.
Prairie View A&M 85, Texas Southern 78
Prairie View won a high-scoring battle thanks to star power and late control. Tai’Reon Joseph went off for 31 points (including 5 threes) and Dontae Horne added 23 with 11 made free throws. Texas Southern kept pressure with Troy Hupstead (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Zaire Hayes (18), but Prairie View’s ability to generate points from the perimeter and the line helped the Panthers finish the job.
Alabama A&M 72, Florida A&M 65
Alabama A&M grabbed another key win to stay near the top of the race. Koron Davis posted 22 points and Kintavious Dozier added 20, as the Bulldogs hit 9 threes and shot 91% at the free-throw line (21-of-23). Florida A&M was paced by Tyler Shirley (16 points, 9 rebounds) and Jordan Chatman (14 points, 3 threes), but AAMU’s shooting balance proved decisive.
Updated SWAC Men’s Basketball Standings (After Saturday)
- Bethune-Cookman — 7-1 (10-11 overall)
- Alabama A&M — 5-3 (12-9) — GB: 2
- Jackson State — 5-3 (6-15) — GB: 2
- Florida A&M — 5-3 (8-11) — GB: 2
- Arkansas-Pine Bluff — 5-3 (8-13) — GB: 2
- Southern — 4-4 (8-13) — GB: 3
- Grambling — 4-4 (9-10) — GB: 3
- Prairie View A&M — 4-5 (9-13) — GB: 3.5
- Texas Southern — 4-5 (6-14) — GB: 3.5
- Alabama State — 3-5 (6-15) — GB: 4
- Alcorn State — 3-5 (4-16) — GB: 4
- Mississippi Valley State — 0-8 (1-21) — GB: 7
What it means for the SWAC race
Bethune-Cookman remains the team to catch, but the cluster behind the Wildcats is tightening quickly. Alabama A&M’s win keeps the Bulldogs firmly in the chase, while Alcorn State’s upset of Southern creates more separation in the middle and adds pressure to every matchup moving forward.