ATLANTA — Jalen Tatum sank two free throws with three seconds remaining, sealing a 68-65 victory for Jackson State over Grambling State in the second round of the SWAC Basketball Tournament at Gateway Center Arena.
Jackson State trailed by as many as nine points in the second half before rallying behind the shooting of Dorian McMillian, who finished with 15 points off the bench. McMillian hit three three-pointers and sparked the comeback, giving the Tigers the lead with seven minutes remaining.
Tatum led all scorers with 18 points, adding four assists in 36 minutes. He scored the decisive layup with 24 seconds left, helping Jackson State secure the win. Delyle Williams, filling in for injured Daeshun Ruffin, contributed 13 points, while Jayme Mitchell Jr. added 12 points and six rebounds. Tamarion Hoover led the team with nine rebounds.
Jackson State shot 37.3% from the field and 26.9% from three-point range. The team made 65.4% of free throws. Grambling State finished shooting 38.9% overall, 40% on three-pointers and 73.9% from the free-throw line. Antonio Munoz led the Tigers with 14 points.
In the first half, Jackson State shot 32.4% from the floor and 23.1% from beyond the arc. Grambling State shot 32% in the first half and 25% from three-point range. Both teams improved in the second half, with Jackson State shooting 44% and Grambling State 44.8% from the field. Grambling State shot 80% from the free-throw line for the game, while Jackson State shot 65.4%.
Jackson State will face No. 2 seed Florida A&M on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET in the SWAC quarterfinals. Follow Jackson State Athletics for updates via social media and the team’s official website.
