ATLANTA–Southern University escaped with a dramatic 73–70 win over Florida A&M University in Friday night’s SWAC Semifinal matchup. It was a hometown kid from Atlanta who made his HBCU hoop dreams a reality, sinking a game-winner in the closing seconds.
Southern, the No. 3 seed, advances to take on the No. 8 seed, Prairie View A&M on Saturday night in Gateway Center Arena.
Fast Start Helps Southern Take Control
Southern wasted little time establishing rhythm offensively. The Jaguars shot 47.5 percent from the field in the first half, building a 43–37 halftime lead thanks to efficient scoring and aggressive play in the paint.
Guard Michael Jacobs led the early charge, finishing the night with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including three three-pointers. His scoring punch helped Southern control the tempo during key stretches.
Forward Terrance Dixon Jr. was a menace in the paint for the Jaguars, recording 11 points and nine rebounds while shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including three dunks. His presence inside helped Southern win key rebounding battles against a strong Florida A&M frontcourt.
Southern dominated the paint all night, scoring 44 points inside, while their deep bench provided a huge spark with 41 bench points.
Florida A&M Fights Back
Despite trailing at halftime, FAMU refused to go away.
Forward Tyler Shirley paced the Rattlers with 16 points, while guard Micah Octave added 14 points and nine rebounds, keeping the Rattlers within striking distance.
FAMU was extremely efficient at the free-throw line, hitting 18 of 20 attempts (90 percent), which helped them stay close throughout the second half.
Guards Jaquan Sanders and Antonio Baker each added 12 points, with Baker also dishing out six assists as FAMU mounted multiple comeback runs.
With under a minute remaining, the Rattlers tied the game in a tense sequence that set up the final dramatic possession.
Trusting the Final Possession
Rather than call a timeout after Florida A&M tied the game on a Shirley layup, Southern head coach Kevin Johnson trusted his team to execute. Jacobs, Southern’s leading scorer, finished off the game with a shot that will long be remembered by Jaguar fans. After passing off to DaMariee Jones with five seconds remaining, Jacobs repositioned himself on the left perimeter behind the three-point line. Jones was cut off along the baseline and passed it back to Jacobs, who calmly drained a three-pointer with .6 seconds remaining on the clock. After a timeout, FAMU’s inbounds pass was intercepted as the Jaguar bench erupted in celebration. The over 2.700 fans in attendance either cheered wildly or sat in stunned disbelief at the dramatic finish.
After the game, Johnson explained the strategy behind letting the play unfold.
“Personally, if we’ve got the last shot in a tied situation, I want to take the last shot and I want the ball in the hands of my best player,” Johnson said. “We work on it in practice, and I was going to live and die with the decision he made.”
The confidence paid off, as Southern delivered in the clutch to secure the narrow victory.
Players Embrace the Moment
Jacobs acknowledged just how intense the matchup was, especially after FAMU defeated Southern twice during the regular season.
“It was a hard game,” Jacobs said. “They beat us twice, so we knew we had to come back with a fight. We knew it was going to be a dog fight for the whole 40 minutes.”
Dixon echoed the sentiment, noting the Jaguars understood the challenge they faced.
“They’re a tough team. They beat us twice in the regular season,” Dixon said. “We had to come into this game and play hard, and that’s what we did.”
Depth and Resilience Key for Southern
Johnson praised his team’s resilience and depth, particularly after battling injuries throughout the season.
“I hope everybody who watched this game took their heart medication before it started,” Johnson joked. “But it’s a testament to how good this league is. I’m fortunate with this crew—through all the injuries we’ve had, their resilience came through tonight.”
Southern showcased that depth throughout the game, rotating 12 players and maintaining high energy on both ends of the floor.
Johnson believes that approach is exactly what makes his team dangerous during tournament play.
“This team was built for this time of year,” he said. “You have to have depth because you never know when you might lose a guy.”