Jackson State's father and son coaching duo having the time of their lives in tournament win

J.T. Keith, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
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Jackson State basketball coach Mo Williams never flinched when his Tigers trailed 21-6 to Prairie View in the first half of Thursday's quarterfinal game.

JSU broke through a rough first half where it shot 17% to come back and defeat Prairie View 62-60 in overtime at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. The win was Williams first in Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament play.

Williams and his son, Kydarrius Williams, who is a graduate assistant, slapped high-fives and hugged each other after the victory. This season has been special, as father and son are having the times of their lives.

“What I like about our team was they stayed together,” Mo Williams said. “Nobody was getting on each other. We stayed positive, and it was winning time. Time to win a championship.”

Williams said the game was about two dogs and one bone. And that bone was Jackson State’s.

Ken Evans Jr. 22 points and Romelle Mansel added 15 for JSU. The team shot 55% in the second half.

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Mo Williams knew he wanted to be a basketball coach when his 13-year NBA career was over. When the NBA season was over, he would fly home to Dallas, where he used to live in the offseason, and spend time coaching his seven sons.

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Kydarrius Williams was a basketball player but injured his knee twice in high school. He spent the last four years as team manager for the Alabama basketball team.

“It means a lot to have him around me every day,” Mo Williams said. “For him to soak up the knowledge of basketball. He’s going to be a coach and wants to be a coach and I am excited about his progression and future.”

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Jackson State (14-18) advances to the SWAC semifinal against the No. 2 seed Grambling State (23-8) at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State coach Mo Williams wins first SWAC Tournament game