Southern’s defense turned Alabama State over 13 times in the first half and rode a double-digit lead to a second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship.
The Jaguars shot a blistering 59.1% from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Where Southern shined Bama State struggled. The Hornets missed multiple layups and all seven of their threes on the way to a 31.8% shooting percentage.
In both regular season meetings, the Hornets shot over 40% from the field, with at least half of the scoring coming from inside the paint. Bama State scored 14 fewer points than their average in those games, and less than half of their total were earned in the paint.
Zaria Hurston led four other Jaguars in double figures with 13 points. The junior guard kept the Hornets’ defense from collapsing in the paint by knocking down 3-of-4 from three. Southern limited the Hornets’ second shots by pulling down 27 defensive rebounds
Caylee Simpson found her shooting touch in the third quarter. The junior scored 15 points of her game-high 19 points, to help the Hornets take the quarter 23-17.
Southern’s deep bench paid big dividends. Tournament MVP Jocelyn Tate and Olivia Delancy combined to score 22 points.
The Jaguars will find out where they land in the NCAA tournament on Sunday evening.