Southern University’s swarming defense came up with the biggest stops at the right time to defeat the Lady Tigers of Jackson State 51-47 and clinch a spot in the 2025 SWAC tournament championship game.
“I knew it was going to be a heavyweight matchup,” said Southern University head coach Carlos Funchess. “You don’t make it this far without having a championship pedigree and they have it. And they came out and battled. I told our young ladies during shoot-around that it was going to be a battle to the end.”
Southern led 49-47 with 41 seconds remaining on the clock and the ball in the hands of the Lady Tigers. Jackson State’s Jaileyah Cotton’s shot from the baseline with seven ticks left on the game clock fell half-a-foot short of the rim and into the hands of Lady Jags point guard Dakiyah Sanders.
Zoe Cooper fouled Cotton immediately, sending the grad transfer student to the line for a pair of free throws. The 5’4 guard understood the assignment and sank both shots as cool as the powder blue afro puffs she wore during the tournament.
The Lady Tigers trailed by 12 going into the final quarter. They chipped away at the lead with good defense and solid rebounding. Taleah Dilworth’s three-point shot cut the lead to five. Cotton scored Jackson State’s next five points with a layup and three to put the Lady Tigers within a layup of the Lady Jags.
The junior guard finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. She tied Dilworth for game high points.
Center Tionna Lidge defended the paint well for the Lady Jags. Lidge blocked 4 shots, pulled down 5 boards, and scored 8 points.
The Lady Jags won’t have much time to savor the win with the upset queens from Alcorn State waiting to face them in the championship game in 24 hours.
Photos
All photos c. Jason McDonald, JM Photography for CORE360 Sports