JACKSON, Miss. | Daeshun Ruffin had a career night for Jackson State as they remain undefeated at home with an 86-81 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory over Bethune-Cookman at the Lee E. Williams AAC on Saturday.

Ruffin finished with a career-high 37 points on 54.5 (12-of-22) percent shooting from the floor for Jackson State (5-14, 5-1 SWAC) and 55.6 (5-of-9) percent shooting from beyond the arc. He also knocked down 80 (8-of-10) percent of his free throws and dished out five assists. Romelle Mansel added 16 points and seven rebounds, knocking down all six of his free throw attempts. Dorian McMillian chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers who held a 17-point lead with 7:17 remaining in the game.

Trey Thomas led four players in double figures for Bethune-Cookman (7-12, 4-2 SWAC) with 20 points. Daniel Rouzen added 18, Jesus Carralero Martin chipped in with 17, and Kalil Camara finished with 15.

Jackson State finished the night shooting 47.5 (28-of-59) percent from the floor and 35.0 (7-of-20) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 76.7 (23-of-30) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman finished the night shooting 45.8 (27-of-59) percent from the floor and 39.1 (9-of-23) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the night shooting 75.0 (18-of-24) percent from the free throw line.

Inside the Numbers
Jackson State shot 46.7 (14-of-30) percent from the floor in the first half and 33.3 (4-of-12) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 80.0 (8-of-10) percent from the free throw line to take a nine-point advantage into the locker room. They came out in the second half and shot 48.3 (14-of-29) percent from the floor and 37.5 (3-of-8) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 75.0 (15-of-20) percent from the free throw line.

Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman finished the first half shooting 36.7 (11-of-30) percent from the floor and 33.3 (4-of-12) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the first half shooting 62.5 (5-of-8) percent from the free throw line. The Wildcats finished the second half shooting 55.2 (16-of-29) percent from the floor and 45.5 (5-of-11) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 81.3 (13-of-16) percent from the free throw line.

Jackson State forced 18 Bethune-Cookman turnovers, outscoring the Wildcats 20-8 on points off turnovers. They also outscored B-Cu in fast break points (21-14), points in the paint (34-32), and second-chance points (21-14).

Game Notes

• Jackson State wore a new uniform on Saturday afternoon, paying homage to the Sonic Boom of the South with the light blue uniforms on at home in front of over 1,300 in attendance.
• The Division of Athletics honored the staff of the Sonic Boom of the South for their appearance at the Tournament of Roses Parade, along with President Dr. Marcus Thompson and First Lady LaToya Thompson.
• Ruffin has scored in double figures in eight of the nine games he has played in this season.
• The Tigers remain undefeated at home with the win, improving to 3-0 on the season in regular season games and added a fourth with an exhibition win before the season started.

Up Next
The Tigers return to action on Monday night to close out the homestand against Florida A&M with a 7 p.m. tip-off.

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