JACKSON, Miss. | Shannon Grant helped Jackson State take over sole possession of second place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 71-63 victory over Alcorn State at the Lee E. Williams AAC on Saturday afternoon.

Grant finished with a career-high 25 points on an 11-of-11 shooting night from the floor and 3-of-3 from the free throw line, leading three players in double figures. Keiveon Hunt finished with 16 points and five assists, while Daeshun Ruffin finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. He also dished out five assists.

Jackson State (10-17, 10-4 SWAC) finished the night shooting 54.9 (28-of-51) percent from the floor and 25.0 (4-of-16) percent from beyond the arc in the win. They also shot 84.6 (11-of-13) percent from three free throw line. Meanwhile, Alcorn State (8-19, 8-6 SWAC) finished the night shooting 38.6 (27-of-70) percent from the floor and 17.6 (3-of-17) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the night shooting 60.0 (6-of-10) percent from the free throw line.

Inside the Numbers
Jackson State shot 55.6 (15-of-27) percent from the floor in the first half on its way to a 16-point lead with 1:36 to play in the opening 20 minutes. They also shot 33.3 (3-of-9) percent from beyond the arc and were perfect at the free throw line line in their only two attempts. Meanwhile, Alcorn State finished the first half shooting 25.0 (9-of-36) percent from the floor and 16.7 (2-of-12) percent from beyond the arc and connected on its only free throw.

The Tigers shot 54.2 (13-of-24) percent from the floor in the second half and connected on 14.3 (1-of-7) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 81.8 (9-of-11) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Alcorn State finished the second half shooting 52.9 (18-of-34) percent from the floor and 20.0 (1-of-5) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 55.6 (5-of-9) percent from the free throw line.

Jackson State dominated the points in the paint, winning the battle 38-32 and won the rebounding battle 35-34.

Game Notes

• The Tigers started the same lineup for the ninth consecutive game.
• Ruffin missed a double-double by one rebound and missed a triple-double by five assists. At one point in the second half, the junior guard had eight points, nine rebounds, and five assists. It is the second consecutive game a Tiger was closing in on a triple-double.
• Romelle Mansel narrowly missed a double-double on the night, finished with eight points and nine rebounds. He also dished out four assists.
• As a team, Jackson State assisted on 19 of the 28 baskets made.
• Jackson State is in second place after its win on Saturday, coupled with a Florida A&M loss to Alabama State. The Tigers are one game up on a host of teams in third place.

Up Next
Jackson State returns to action next Saturday against Texas Southern on Senior Day at the Lee E. Williams AAC.

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