ATLANTA, GA --Southerns' Soniyah Reed and Aniya Gourdine led the Jags for the second straight game as the knock off the defending SWAC champions to advance to 2025 Starry SWAC Women's Basketball Championship game. Final from the Gateway Center Arena at College Park was 51-47.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Lady Tigers opened the game with a 5-0 run over the Jaguars to outscore them 17-15 in the first quarter, 17-15. 
- Both teams scored in single digits in the second quarter as the Jags outscored the Lady Tigers 9-6 for closed out half with a one-point lead, 24-23.
- The Jaguars pick up right where they left off in the first half outscoring JSU 16-5 to extend their lead to twelve points to close out the third quarter, 40-28. 
- Despite outscoring the Jags 19-11, it wasn't enough as Southern advances to its third championship game in six years under the leadership of head coach Carlos Funchess.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Jaguars went 17-of-51 shooting from the field (33.3 percent) and 5-of-15 from 3PT (33.3 percent).
- SU was led by Aniya Gourdine (4-17 FG, 2-4 FT) finished the night with 11 points and three steals. Soniyah Reed (4-7 FG, 2-3 3PT) added 10 points and                                 seven boards off twenty minutes of play. Tionna Lidge (4-9 FG) and DaKiyah Sanders (2-2 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2-2 FT) chipped in eight points each.
- Seven out of the nine Jaguars played scored in the contest with two finishing the night with double digits.
- JSU shot 13-of-47 from the field (27.7 percent) and 6-of-19 from 3PT (31.6 percent). 
- Southern pulled down 29 rebounds, including 19 on the defensive side of the glass, led by Reed with a team-high seven rebounds. 
- The Lady Tigers registered 40 rebounds, with 25 coming on the defensive end. 
- The Jaguars also went 12-for-17 from the free-throw line.
- The Lady Tigers sank 15-of-19 from the charity stripe.
- Southern University finished the night with nine steals and ten assists, led by Aleighyah Fontenot with a game-high five assists each.
- Jackson State University came away with six steals and nine assists.

UP NEXT
The Jaguars advanced to the 2025 Starry SWAC Women's Basketball Championship Game as they face Alcorn State University on Saturday, March 15th at 5:30 est as play for a chance to punch their ticket to the Big Dance.

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