Jackson State Tops Bethune-Cookman in SWAC Battle

Jackson, Miss. — Jackson State defeated Bethune-Cookman 91-86 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action Monday night at the Lee E. Williams Athletics & Assembly Center. The Tigers, now 9-17 overall and 8-5 in SWAC play, handed the league-leading Wildcats their third conference loss.

Jackson State used three players with 20 or more points to hold off Bethune-Cookman, which fell to 13-13 overall and 10-3 in the conference. Daeshun Ruffin led all scorers with 28 points and added six assists, going 15-for-16 from the free-throw line. Jayme Mitchell Jr. chipped in 21 points and eight rebounds, while Dorian McMillian scored 20 points with seven rebounds in the victory.

The teams exchanged leads until Jackson State pulled ahead in the final minutes. The Tigers built an 81-75 advantage before Bethune-Cookman rallied to 81-79 with 3:31 remaining. Ruffin’s free throws extended Jackson State’s lead to 85-81 with 2:13 left. Bethune-Cookman pulled within two again, but a free throw from Dionjahe Thomas and a three-pointer from McMillian sealed the win for Jackson State with under 30 seconds remaining.

Jackson State shot 48.2% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc, while making 77.1% of free throws. Bethune-Cookman shot 46.8% from the field and 17.6% from three-point range, finishing 75.8% from the free-throw line. Jakobi Heady and Daniel Rouzan led Bethune-Cookman with 25 points each.

In the first half, Jackson State shot 43.3% from the floor and 46.2% from three-point range, with a 63.6% free-throw percentage. Bethune-Cookman shot 41.4% and 22.2% from three, with a 64.7% free-throw rate. The Tigers improved offensively in the second half, shooting 53.8% from the floor and 57.1% from three, while making 83.3% of free throws. Bethune-Cookman shot 51.5% from the floor and just 12.5% from three in the second half, finishing 87.5% at the line.

Jackson State will travel to face Alcorn State on Saturday. Follow the Tigers on social media at @GoJSUTigers on Instagram and Twitter for updates.

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