NEW ORLEANS, La. | Daeshun Ruffin hit a pair of free throws with 1.6 seconds to play after an administrative technical foul, giving Jackson State an 87-85 victory over Tulane at the Avron B. Fogleman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse on Thursday night, giving Trey Johnson his first victory as the head coach of the Tigers.
After the Tigers battled back from 15 throughout the game, they tied the game at 85-all before Tulane called a timeout in the front court after they had exhausted all four of them. After Ruffin hit the free throws, Dorian McMillian got a hand in the face of Tulane's TJ Nadeau and forcing a miss at the buzzer for the win.
McMillian led the Tigers with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Williams added 20 points off the bench. Ruffin finished with 17 points and eight assists, AT Manyuon added 12, and Nikk Williams 10 in the win for Jackson State (1-1).
The Tigers trailed by as many 15 in the first half before going on a 7-0 run over 57 seconds to force a Tulane timeout with 9:30 remaining in the first half. They used a driving lay-up by Manyuon and a three-pointer from Mike Williams to force the timeout to trim the game to 30-22. From there, the two teams traded baskets until a steal and dunk by Manyuon with 4:57 remaining in the opening half to trim the deficit to 37-31, the third consecutive field goal converted by Jackson State.
Tulane was able to grow the lead back to 10 at 42-32 remaining in the opening half just seconds before the final media timeout from Krystian Lewis, before Jackson State used a dunk and a free throw from Nikk Williams and three free throws from McMillian to close the half on a 6-0 run. The Tigers trailed by four at the break, 42-38, behind 13 points from McMillian.
The run continued out of the locker room for Jackson State as they scored the first four points of the second half on baskets McMillian and Williams to tie the game at 44-44 with 17:48 to play in the game. The Green Wave built a 49-45 lead with 16:41 to play in the game before continuing on an 8-1 run to extend the lead to 52-45 before McMillian ended it with a steal and lay-up with 14:40 trimming the lead to 52-47. Mike Williams went on a personal 7-0 run for Jackson State to trim the deficit to 65-62 before a Ruffin free throw with 8:28 to play in the game trimmed the deficit to 65-63.
Jackson State fought back with 3:02 to play to tie on a McMillian three-pointer, 81-all, before the Green Wave converted on a pair of free throws with 2:43 to play, taking an 83-81 lead. But the Tigers came right back with a Ruffin pull-up to tie the game at 83-all before the two teams traded possessions with points with 1:50 to play, and the score tied at 85-all.
Jackson State shot 46.8 (29-of-62) percent from the floor and 37.5 (9-of-24) percent from beyond the arc on the night. They also finished the first half shooting 83.3 (20-of-24) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Tulane finished night shooting 47.5 (28-of-59) percent from the floor and 40.0 (8-of-20) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the first half shooting 70.0 (21-of-30) percent from the free throw line.
BY THE NUMBERS
Jackson State ended the first half shooting 41.9 (13-of-31) percent from the floor and 30.8 (4-of-13) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the first half shooting 80.0 (8-of-10) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Tulane finished the first half shooting 45.2 (14-of-31) percent from the floor and 50.0 (6-of-12) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the first half shooting 66.7 (8-of-12) percent from the free throw line.
Jackson State ended the second half shooting 51.6 (16-of-31) percent from the floor and 45.5 (5-of-11) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the second half shooting 85.7 (12-of-14) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Tulane finished the first half shooting 50.0 (14-of-28) percent from the floor and 25.0 (2-of-8) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished the first half shooting 72.2 (13-of-18) percent from the free throw line.
GAME NOTES
Jackson State started a different lineup than in game one, going with Daeshun Ruffin, Dorian McMillian, and DJ Davis at the guard position; while starting Nikk Williams and Kobe Butler in the frontcourt.
McMillian hit double figures in the first half with 13 points, giving him double-figure points in the first two games of the season after he scored 10 on the road at No. 19 Texas Tech. Mike Williams hit the mark with a lay-up with under 12 minutes to play, giving him double figure points in the first two games of the season. Nikk Williams and Manyuon each recorded double figures for the first time this season, while Ruffin hit the mark with under four minutes to play in the contest.
Nikk Williams recorded the first dunk of the season in the opening half for the Tigers, while he added another and Manyuon recorded one in the first half.
Up Next
Jackson State returns to action on Monday night against in-state foe Mississippi State in Starkville (Miss.) on the SEC Network+.
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