LAS VEGAS - The Jackson State men's hoops team is set to play in the Chris Paul Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Challenge, presented by the AEA Foundation. The event will occur on Saturday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 17, when the Tigers face off against Howard University and North Carolina A&T State. 

The HBCU Challenge will be played at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The game against Howard is scheduled for an 11 p.m. tip, and the North Carolina A&T game will start at 7:30 p.m., with both games being broadcast on ESPNU.

The Tigers (2-7) are coming off a 55-89 road loss at #3/2 Houston, while Howard (4-6) is coming off a win at home over Regent. 

The Aggies of North Carolina A&T (0-9) are still looking for their first win of the season and will face SWAC foe Texas Southern on Saturday afternoon before facing the Tigers. 

Jackson State-Howard

• This is the fourth meeting between the two schools and the first since the Clinton administration. 
• The last meeting took place in Washington, D.C. 

Scouting the Bison

• The 2023 MEAC Basketball Champions Howard came into the match-up with a 4-6 record and had an 88-49 win over Regent in their last game. They are under the direction of head coach Kenneth Blakeney, who is in his fifth year at Howard. 
• The Bison are averaging 77.5 points per game and outrebounding their opponents by 3.3 rebounds. 
• Seth Towns leads Howard's offensive attack, averaging 17 points a game through the seven games he has played this season. No one on the team has scored more points than Bryce Harris. 
• Howard turns the ball over 16.7 times per game and allows 77.6 points. 

Evans Chasing 1000 Points

• Ken Evans Jr. leads the Tigers, averaging 18.8 points per game while shooting just under 50 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.  
• Evans saw his streak of double-digit scoring come to an end after scoring just six points against Houston. 
• Evans has scored 169 points this season and is now just 154 points away from becoming yet another Jackson State great to score at least 1000 points in his career.  

Tigers in the Paint

• Jackson State averages 28.2 points per game in the paint this season. They have scored 254 total points in the paint and 20 points or more in all games except the last matchup against Houston. 
• The Tigers have scored a season-high 38 points in the paint in two of their eight games and outscored their opponents in four.

Last Time Out | Tigers 55, Houston 89

• The Jackson State men's basketball team got a 24-point performance from the bench but fell 89-55 to the #3/2 Houston Cougars on the road.
• Jordan O'Neal led the Tigers with seven points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Coltie Young tacked on 13 points, and Jayme Mitchell helped with nine points from the bench.
• Jackson State's defense caused its share of mistakes in the game, forcing 13 turnovers by Houston. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor. Keiveon Hunt led the way individually for the Tigers with three steals.
• After falling behind 33-19, Jackson State went on a 10-0 run with 4:45 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Mitchell, to narrow the deficit to 33-29. Houston answered and added to its lead, leaving the Tigers down 37-29 entering halftime.
• Houston kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing an 87-48 advantage before Jackson State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Jalani Bell's three-pointer, to shrink the deficit to 87-53 with 1:57 to go in the contest. The Tigers could not cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 89-55. Jackson State capitalized on 10 Houston turnovers in the period, collecting seven points.

Look Who's Back! 

• The Tigers welcomed back all five of their starters from a year ago: Ken Evans, Coltie Young, Romelle Mansel, Chase Adams,  and Zeke Cook, and they accounted for 1,510 of Jackson State's 2,232 total points a year. 
• Evans led the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 ppg, 4.6 rebounds per game, and 86 assists.
• Young was the second-leading scorer, with 10.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game. 
• Mansel finished the year with 8.9 points per game, 31 block shots, and an average of 5.4 rebounds per game. 
• Adams guided the team as the point guard and finished with 118 assists, 50 steals, and 8.0 points per game. 
• Cook averaged 5.9 rebounds per game with 16 blocks and 35 steals.  

2 Dogs 1 Bone

• The Jackson State men's basketball team lives on the 2 Dogs, 1 Bone philosophy. 
• In the words of Coach Mo, "When you have two dogs in a kennel with one bone, the toughest and hungriest dog is going to get that bone."
• The team that works the hardest and puts in the most work will win the battle between the two teams. 
• The Tigers have a championship mindset because they want to be the best team in the SWAC. 

Road Warriors (THEE Tour)

• The Jackson State Tigers will clock a few miles on the road before the SWAC season begins. They will travel 14,126 miles before they play their first conference game. 
• The travel is designed so the Tigers can grow together as a team on the road and learn how to play when traveling in the SWAC.
• The trips will test the mental toughness of the Tigers.
• The Tigers play their first 13 games on the road, and they play in each time zone except Mountain Standard Time.  

Big from the Bench

• Coach Mo is looking for a big thing from the bench this year. He added some key players who he is expecting to give critical minutes and play well when their time is called. 
• Some of those players include Treyon Johnson, Keiveon Hunt,  and Jalani Bell. 
• The Tigers have scored 191 points off the bench, averaging 21.2 points per game from bench players. Jackson State scored 24 points off the bench in their last game against Houston.

Tough Slate 

• Jackson State opened the season by playing three games in five days at Memphis, San Diego, and Cal Baptist. 
• The Tigers will face ten teams that made the NCAA tournament a year ago, including a team in Houston that made it to the Sweet 16 last year and Gonzaga, who made it to the Elite Eight. 
• They will travel on the road as they face all 10 teams, except Texas Southern, whom they will also play at home.
• Jackson State has faced one team currently ranked in the top 25, #3/2 Houston, and will face another in #10/13 Gonzaga.

Tigers to play in HBCU Challenge 

• The Chris Paul Family Foundation and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the third annual circuit of two Historically Black College and University (HBCU) events, the HBCU Tip-Off and Challenge, presented by the AEA Foundation.
• The  HBCU Tip-Off will take place November 18-19 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, and the HBCU Challenge will be held December 16-17 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
• Jackson State will face Howard and North Carolina A&T in Las Vegas, with both games being broadcast on ESPNU.

Tiger Tails

• Coach Mo is in his third year as head coach and second at Jackson State, his hometown. Born in Jackson, Miss.
• Williams attended Murrah High School, where he had a successful career, earning him a scholarship to Alabama. 
• In his first year at Jackson State, he went 12-6 in SWAC play despite being picked to finish seventh. 
• Coach Williams has never faced Howard as a player or head coach. 

Season Tickets
Season tickets are now on sale to the public for the 2023–24 men's and women's basketball seasons. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gojsutigers.com/tickets, by phone at 601-979-0845, or in person at the Williams Athletics and Assembly Center Box Office on the JSU campus Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

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