LORMAN – Alcorn State fought valiantly in its SWAC opener against Jackson State but fell 72-69 in a thrilling contest on Saturday afternoon at the Davey L. Whitney Health & Physical Education Complex.
Marcus Tankersley led the Braves with a season-high 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, going 8-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Djahi Binet added 10 points and six rebounds, while Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt chipped in nine points and two steals. Despite a strong second-half rally where the Braves outscored Jackson State 43-37, a late push by the visitors sealed the game.
GAME RECAP
First Half – Jackson State 35, Alcorn 26
- Marcus Tankersley opened the scoring for Alcorn with a pair of free throws, but Jackson State's hot three-point shooting, led by Jayme Mitchell Jr., helped the Tigers build an early lead.
- Djahi Binet provided a spark off the bench with six points in the paint, while the Braves' defense forced critical turnovers to keep the deficit manageable.
- A late jumper by Daeshun Ruffin extended Jackson State's lead to nine heading into the break.
Second Half – Jackson State 72, Alcorn 69
- Alcorn came out firing, with Omari Hamilton's three-pointer sparking a 10-2 run to cut the lead to one early in the half.
- Tankersley dominated the paint, scoring 15 of his 25 points in the second half, including a clutch layup to give the Braves their first lead at 51-49 with 7:51 remaining.
- Jackson State responded with key buckets from Keiveon Hunt and Mitchell Jr., regaining a slim lead in the final minutes.
- Gaines-Wyatt's late layup brought the Braves within two points, but Jackson State's free-throw shooting down the stretch secured the victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 25 – Marcus Tankersley's game-high 25 points marked his best performance of the season.
- 50% – The Braves shot an impressive 50% from the field, including 57.7% in the second half.
- 21 – Alcorn scored 21 fast-break points, taking advantage of Jackson State's turnovers.
- 13 – The Braves outrebounded Jackson State 13-11 on the offensive glass.
UP NEXT
The Braves (0-13, 0-1 SWAC) will look to bounce back on Saturday, January 11, as they host Alabama A&M in another SWAC matchup. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CST at the Davey L. Whitney Health & Physical Education Complex.
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