MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Jackson State hits the road for the first time in Southwestern Athletic Conference [SWAC] play beginning with a game on Saturday against Alabama State in a rematch of last year's conference championship game.

The two teams will tip at 3 p.m. inside the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on ESPNU on Saturday.

Jackson State [2-12, 1-0 SWAC] enters the weekend fresh off a four-point victory over Alcorn State, while Alabbama State [4-11, 1-1 SWAC] enters the weekend after splitting its first two conference games on the road. The two have met 94 times since 1963 with Jackson State leading the series 56-38 all-time. This season, the Tigers are led by Daeshun Ruffin in both scoring and assists, averaging 19.0 points and 4.1 assists per game. He is joined in double figures by Jayme Mitchell Jr. at 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while Dorian McMillian is averaging 10.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season.

Game Info - Jackson State at Alabama State
Saturday, Jan. 10 | 3:00 p.m. | Dunn-Oliver Acadome | ESPNU
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Game Notes

• Ruffin was responsible for 53 of the 89 points scored by Jackson State in its 89-86 SWAC victory over Alcorn State in the opener. The senior guard scored 31 points and added a season-high eight assists in the win.
• Head coach Mo Williams has two sons on the bench [at least at some point this season] with his son KyDarrius serving as a an assistant coach, while another of his sons - Mike - comes in as a highly-touted recruit from Germantown High School.
• Williams is 3-1 against his former school, coaching at Alabama State from 2020-2022 where he finished a combined 12-14 in conference play.
• Mitchell mssed his career high in points by just two when he scored 24 points against Auburn [11.19.25], while Ebo Wilson equaled his career-high with eight rebounds.
• Jackson State held Louisiana [11.28.25] to 45 points, the lowest point total an opponent has scored since Mississippi Valley State [Feb. 8] was held to 44 in Jackson State win in the lone win of the 2025 season.
• The game at Houston [seventh] marked the fifth game against a nationally-ranked opponent after Jackson State has faced [ranked at the time] Illinois [17th], Louisville [11th], Auburn [20th], and Arkansas [14th] so far this season. That is the most ranked teams played in the conference. They have also played the second-toughest schedule in the country according to multiple sources.
• Mike Williams had a career game against Kennesaw State [12.2.25] finishing with a career-high 12 points, earning his first start on the road against Houston. However, he was injured against Hampton [12.18.25], and has not returned to the lineup.
• Jackson State was picked to finish third in the conference in the preseason behind Bethune-Cookman and Southern. Last season, the Tigers finished 14-4 in the regular season - finishing second - before falling in the SWAC Championship Game.
• Jackson State has started 12 different lineups in its first 14 games this season.
• Today's game is a rematch of the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference [SWAC] championship game won by Alabama State in Atlanta. The two teams met last season in Jackson in the only regular season match-up between the two, with Jackson State winning 77-70 on its way to a 4-0 start in conference play.
• For the first time this season, the Tigers had four players score in double figures. They did so against Alcorn State in an 89-85 victory with Ruffin, McMillian, Mitchell, and Devin Ree combining for 73 of the 89 points scored by Jackson State.
• Ruffin is closing in on 1,000 career points in the 2025-26 season. After missing non-conference play last season, Ruffin responded with 216 points through 12 non-conference games this season. That total is the second highest total [only trailing 377 total points last season], and has recorded 906 career points [624 at Jackson State]. Not to mention he opened up conference play with 31 points against Alcorn State.
• A pair of players, Mitchell [644 / 577 at Jackson State] and Raevon Thomas [581], have joined the 500-point club, while McMillian  is poised to do so in just his second season. The sophomore enters the week with 499 career points in 48 games.

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