Jackson State rallies from 21-point deficit but falls to Southern in overtime
Jackson, Miss. — Jackson State nearly completed a comeback from a 21-point deficit but fell to Southern 96-91 in overtime Monday at the Lee E. Williams Athletics & Assembly Center.
The Tigers trailed 75-54 with 9:49 remaining in regulation before staging a rally. They scored 13 consecutive points, cutting the lead to 76-62 on a three-pointer by Jayme Mitchell Jr. with 8:11 to play.
Jackson State continued to chip away, getting within single digits on a three from Daeshun Ruffin at 5:13 remaining. After Southern pushed its lead back to nine, the Tigers scored six straight points to close the gap to three, helped by a steal from Delyle Williams and a three from Tamarion Hoover. They then tied the game on a layup by Ruffin in the final second, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra period, Southern outscored Jackson State 12-7 to secure the win. Ruffin led all scorers with 35 points and added eight rebounds. The junior guard has scored in double figures in 13 straight games and has 19 double-digit games this season.
Mitchell scored 22 points with eight rebounds for Jackson State, while Devin Ree contributed 17 off the bench. The Tigers shot 41.5% from the floor and 41.9% from three-point range. They made 77.4% of their free throws.
Southern (9-13, 5-4 SWAC) was led by Fazi Oshodi with 26 points. DaMariee Jones added 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Jaguars shot 46.5% from the floor and 38.1% beyond the arc. They connected on 64.7% of their free throws.
Both teams had strong first halves, with Jackson State shooting 48.1% and Southern 48.6%. The Tigers trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half before rallying in the second, shooting 38.7% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.
Southern finished the game shooting 46.5% overall and 38.1% from three, while Jackson State shot 41.5% from the field and 41.9% from three. In overtime, Southern shot 66.7% from the floor, but Jackson State struggled, making only 28.6% of its shots and missing all three three-point attempts.
Jackson State will travel for two upcoming games, starting Saturday against Mississippi Valley State, followed by a contest against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday.
Source: Original Article
