In what was an in-state matchup for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) crown, the Jackson State women’s basketball team ousted Alcorn State 68-44 to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The victory for the Lady Tigers was their ninth SWAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship and their third under head coach Tomekia Reed. Leading the way was Andriana Avent with 17 points. Ti’lan Boler (13 points) and Hayleigh Breland (11 points) also scored in double figures.
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The biggest differential on the stat sheet was Jackson State’s presence in the paint. 18 offensive rebounds led to 13 second-chance points, while on the other side of the court, 10 blocks made it extremely difficult for the Lady Braves to score down low.
Jackson State, who had two players land on the All-SWAC Tournament team (Avent and Boler), will find out its NCAA Tournament first-round opponent on Sunday at 7 p.m. CT. It’s the third time in four years the Lady Tigers will be part of the Big Dance.