Jackson State men's basketball falls in SWAC tournament semifinals to Grambling State
Jackson State men's basketball coach Mo Williams' mantra has been "two dogs, one bone." But JSU couldn't contain the biggest dog of them all on Friday night in the SWAC Tournament semifinals.
Jackson State came out came out ready to play, but SWAC Player of the Year Jourdan Smith proved his credentials, scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds to lead Grambling State to a 78-68 victory at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday night.
Jackson State (14-19) started fast and put pressure on Grambling (24-8) in the first half, grabbing a 14-point lead in the first 10 minutes. Grambling rallied, and JSU's Coltie Young hit a jump shot right before halftime to give Jackson State a 36-34 lead at the break.
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Young would lead the team in scoring with 18 points. In the quarterfinals against Prairie View, Young was held scoreless.
The teams traded baskets early in the second half, but once Cameron Christon made a layup with 14:47 to play in the game, Grambling never trailed again. JSU's deficit hovered between three and seven points for the next eight minutes; the closest the Tigers would get was on a Young 3-pointer to make it 62-59 with 6:39 to play in the game.
There were missed opportunities for JSU to win the game, but it struggled to score off rare Grambling turnovers, nor could they get a stop on a pivotal possession. It seemed like the air went out of the Tigers when those moments in the game escaped them.
JSU (14-19) had had four players score in double figures. Young; Ken Evans Jr. and Romelle Mansel each contributed 12 points; and Zeke Cook added 11 points.
In Williams' first season at Jackson State, there is something to build upon. He notched his first SWAC tournament win. At the start of the season, Williams' goal was to change the culture and instill a winning attitude while playing a Power Five schedule. Williams has implemented his offense and has players returning. The next step will be to have some all-SWAC selections next season.
Second-seeded Grambling plays eighth-seeded Texas Southern (13-20) on Saturday for the SWAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament (4:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU).
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State men's basketball falls in SWAC tournament to Grambling
