March 11, 2006

Box Score

Birmingham, Ala.(Courtesy of SWAC Media Relations) -- Jackson State made the adjustments it needed to make late in
the game, but top seed Southern University proved too big and too strong Friday night, advancing to the SWAC championship game with a 66-59 victory at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

Chris Alexander led the Jaguars with 16 points, while Deforrest Riley-Smith added 13 and Peter Cipriano 10.

Trey Johnson paced No. 5 seed Jackson State with 16 points. Catraiva Givens pitched in 12 points. The Tigers ended the season 15-17 overall.

Southern, meanwhile, will face No. 7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the SWAC title game will televised live on ESPNU. The Golden Lions knocked off No. 2 Alabama A&M on Thursday then sent Grambling State packing in the semifinals.

The regular season champion Jaguars improved to 18-12, and they did it the same way they've dismantled SWAC opponents all season: using size and power.

While JSU outrebounded Southern 44-40, the Jags used their size in the paint. SU outscored JSU 16-10 in the low post and 8-2 on second chance points.

The Tigers fell behind 17-4 during the first 10 minutes of action. Southern led 33-27 at halftime.

Jackson State started the game with less intensity than it did in an 83-65 victory over No. seed Alabama State on Thursday morning. But the Tigers picked it up late to make it interesting.

Quotes Following Jackson State vs. Southern University

Tevester Anderson (JSU, Head Coach)
"We lost to an outstanding Southern University basketball team; they are the class of our conference."

"They have excellent balance ... their inside-outside game is the best in our league."

"Our guys got off to a real slow start; I don't know if it was because of what we accomplished yesterday, but we hadn't settled back down."

"To begin the second half we had a lot of energy but couldn't get anything done."

"I think our guys really laid it on the line tonight. To out rebound Southern is a wonderful thing we just don't have anything to show for it."

Rob Spivey (SU, Head Coach)

"I thought we played an outstanding basketball game tonight. We played with toughness, we played with poise."

"Jackson State did an excellent job of forcing some action and really playing tough themselves."

"We did some things in the closing minutes of the game to put ourselves in position to win."

"Anytime you're up a number of points you expect the opposing team to make a run and close the gap. It's just a matter on our part not to let them overcome us and take the lead."

"We played with great poise down the line and tonight I think that made all the difference."

"We played like champions tonight."