Alabama State Finishes Strong Against Jackson State To Win The 2025 SWAC Championship

The Hornets win a close game against the Tigers to reach its first NCAA Tournament since 2011.

Alabama State Wins The 2025 SWAC Championship / ESPN

Alabama State faced a tough challenge in the 2025 SWAC Tournament, but the Hornets defeated Jackson State and former ASU head coach Mo Williams with a score of 60-56 to become conference champions.

Senior guard CJ Hines, named MVP, led the Hornets with 20 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range. TJ Madlock added seven points and nine rebounds, including a clutch jumper late to extend the lead for ASU.

Jackson State big man Shannon Grant Jr. led his team with 20 points and nine rebounds. Three more players had nine points each, including Daeshun Ruffin, who went 0-for-5 on 3-pointers and committed six turnovers.

With the win, ASU heads to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

Coach Madlock / ESPN

“These guys did what we expected to do all year long,” head coach Tony Madlock said after the game. “I said earlier today, all of our games are like this – close, tough games. So we’ve been preparing for this all year.”

In the first 10 minutes of the game, we saw a battle of contrasting styles. For Jackson State, the ball was forced inside to the 6-foot-11, 290-pound center Shannon Grant Jr. Alabama State wanted a more up-tempo style, relying on its backcourt to get out in transition.

Jackson’s plan worked well early as Grant scored his team’s first nine points. But a couple of transition layups and interior pressure gave the Hornets an 11-9 lead halfway through the first period.

Soon after, the Tiger guards went on an 8-0 run thanks to a couple of 3-pointers from Jayme Mitchell and a contested fastbreak layup from Ruffin. Jackson State recaptured the lead to get in front of Alabama State 19-14 with less than six minutes to go in the first half.

SWAC CHAMPIONS 🏆 ALABAMA STATE IS GOING DANCING 😤 pic.twitter.com/3qTT17Hrri

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 16, 2025

But the Hornets didn’t let the game get out of hand. Instead, CJ Hines scored seven of his 11 first-half points in the final five minutes to cut the deficit to one. He had a chance to tie the game but missed the free throw after converting the layup and drawing the foul.

Jackson State led Alabama State 26-25 at the break.

The second half started with the Daeshun Ruffin show, where the junior guard scored seven points in the first five minutes after scoring only two in the first half. It looked like Jackson State would start to run away as the Tigers had the largest lead of the game with nine points, but a 3-pointer from D’Ante Bass stopped the bleeding at the first media timeout. Tigers lead 39-33 with 14:47 to go in the second half.

CROWN THE KINGS👑#SWARMAS1 pic.twitter.com/itomknajHB

— Bama State Athletics (@BamaStateSports) March 16, 2025

Fortunately for Alabama State, Bass’ 3-pointer started a 9-0 run for the Hornets, and they tied the game at 39 with 10:15 to go. After the two teams exchanged baskets, Hines knocked down another deep shot to give the Hornets a 44-41 lead with 6:12 to go.

Jackson State responded with a pair of free throws from Dorian McMillan and a layup from Grant. After that, both teams exchanged the lead in the final minutes until Micah Octave hit a cutting layup, and Madlock hit a tough mid-range jumper to take a 56-53 lead with 38 seconds left.

After the Tigers foul to stop the clock and Shawn Fulcher hits both free throws, McMillan hits a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two points with less than 10 seconds in the game.

Unfortunately, Jackson State couldn’t get the steal, and the Hornets eventually sealed their victory and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

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PREVIOUS SWAC COVERAGE

BAMA STATE DEFEATS GRAMBLING STATE

Tyler Mack came off the Alabama State bench to bury four three-point shots and the hopes of Gramling State repeating as the tournament champions.

In a dramatic conclusion, the ASU Hornets defeated the GSU Tigers, 64-62, to punch their ticket to Saturday's 2025 Starry SWAC Basketball Men's Tournament Championship Game at Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia.

CJ Hines scored 15 points and handed out five assists in the victory. Tyler Mack contributed four treys, going 4-of-4 for 12 points. Antonio "TJ" Madlock and Jasteven Walker added nine points each for the Hornets.

The lower leg injury to the G-Men's leader, Kintavious Dozier, affected the outcome of the matchup. The senior attempted to return in the second half but couldn't give it a go. He went 7-of-14 from the field, 5-of-6 from the free-throw line, and 1-for-5 from three-point range to finish with 20 points.

James Flippin registered 18 points and three rebounds, while Mikale Stevenson notched 9 points and nine rebounds. Grambling scored on 20-of-55 shots and nearly perfect at the charity stripe, going 17-for-18.

Alabama State led the contest for only 3:37 minutes, while Grambling dominated most of the game, leading for 34:18 minutes.

The Hornets will face Jackson State or Bethune-Cookman to compete for the 2025 Starry SWAC Basketball Championship title.

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Alabama State Defeats Texas Southern / Credit: ESPN

Grambling State vs. Alabama State Preview

The 2025 Starry SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament has delivered dramatic finishes and thrilling upsets, culminating in a compelling semifinal lineup scheduled for Friday, Mar. 14.   Let's preview the Grambling State vs. Alabama State matchup.

The Final Four SWAC Matchups:

• No. 8 Grambling State Tigers (7-11 SWAC) vs. No. 5 Alabama State Hornets (12-6 SWAC) - 2:00 PM CT
• No. 2 Jackson State Tigers (15-17, 14-4 SWAC) vs. No. 3 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (17-15, 13-5 SWAC) - 8:30 PM CT

The men's games will occur at the Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia, with the winners moving on to the championship round on Mar. 15.

Grambling State Defeat Alabama A&M / Courtesy: Aniyah Rivers/GSU Athletics

Grambling State vs. Alabama State

Grambling State Tigers

• Journey: Pulled off the tournament's most significant upset, defeating #1 Southern, 65-62, in overtime after beating Alabama A&M, 73-56.
• Key Players:  Mikale Stevenson and Kintavious Dozier
• Strength: Tenacious defense, a coach (Donte' Jackson), and players who have already won a SWAC Championship. Don't count out the G-Men, who proved they have the mettle to compete when it counts - in the tournament!

Alabama State Rallies in 2nd Half and Defeats Alabama A&M in Thriller / Credit: ASU Athletics

Alabama State Hornets

• Journey: The Hornets were aggressive from the opening tip-off as they hit a barrage of three-pointers in the first half to gain a sizeable lead on Texas Southern.    ASU advanced past a Texas Southern team that had visited the championship game the previous four seasons, winning three titles.
• Key Players: D'Ante Bass and TJ Madlock
• Strength: The Hornets are a very physical team and seem highly determined to win. Expect scoring in the paint, and don't be surprised if ASU is vying for the title on Saturday.

Outlook

Will the emotions after defeating Texas Southern run their course for the Hornets? They will face a Grambling State team who will be rested and ready.  While the G-Men will be mentally prepared, can the Alabama State surprise the Gateway Center spectators again?

GSU / ESPN

Prediction

Alabama State will win if they can hit the treys as they did against TSU. Should Grambling control the paint, the Tigers will win.  

Grambling State by 3 points over Alabama State.

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MORE SWAC COVERAGE

HORNETS STING TIGERS, ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS

For the first time in five seasons, the No. 4 seed Texas Southern Tigers won't be competing in the SWAC Men's Tournament Championship game. No. 5 Alabama State defeated No. 4 Texas Southern, 84-79, at the 2025 Starry SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament at Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia.

D'Ante Bass scored 16 points, with two crucial follow-up slam dunks and less than minutes to go for No. 5 Alabama State. Three additional Hornets were in double figures against TSU: Antonio "TJ" Madlock (15 points, eight rebounds), CJ Hines (15 points, two rebounds), and Micah Simpson (10 points, three rebounds).

ASU Stings TSU / Credit: ESPN

Alabama State commanded a 41-29 lead over Texas Southern heading into halftime. The Hornets never trailed and allowed one tie at 59 apiece in the second half. ASU went 14-for-29 from three-point range compared to TSU as a team, hitting 10-of-22 in the game.

Zaire Hayes led the quarterfinals scorers with 24 points for the Tigers. He was on fire the entire game, scoring 8-of-9 from the field with 6-for-7 from beyond the arc. His backcourt teammate, Kavion McClain, went 6-of-11 from the floor for 15 points. Jaylen Wysinger was efficient, scoring 14 points and grabbing two rebounds.

No. 8 Grambling State will meet No. 4 Alabama State in Friday's semifinal game at 2:00 PM CT. Jackson State will square off against the winner of the Bethune-Cookman-Alcorn State match.

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MORE SWAC TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

JSU EMERGES AS THE FAVORITES

The Jackson State Tigers continue to surge at the right time by showcasing their conference dominance with a 91-76 victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers. JSU's win and the Southern Jaguars' upset have established the Tigers as the favorites at the 2025 Starry SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.

Jackson State Aggressive

Mo Williams had the No. 2 seed Tigers (14-17, 14-4 SWAC) controlling the tempo of the game right from the opening tip-off. The No. 7 Rattlers (14-16, 10-8 SWAC) were ultimately outpaced by 15 points, highlighting why Jackson State finished near the top of the conference standings during the regular season.

Tigers guard Daeshun Ruffin was nearly unstoppable. He was stellar, scoring 29 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out seven assists in the win. Four additional JSU players posted double figures: Shannon Grant (17 points, 16 rebounds), Romelle Mansel (14 points), Keiveon Hunt (15 points), and Doriam McMillian (13 points).

On to the next#TheeILove | #BleedTheeBlue pic.twitter.com/gmjmpWYFfE

— Jackson State Men's Basketball (@GoJSUTigersMBB) March 13, 2025

Jackson State vs. Florida A&M Team Performances

Jackson State showcased its offensive strength by scoring 91 points against a typically strong Florida A&M defense, which should raise concerns for their SWAC rivals.

The Tigers shot an impressive 61.2%, significantly higher than their season average of 41.8%. Their offensive performance was remarkable, as they also made 23 of 29 free throws, achieving a success rate of 79.3%.

In contrast, Florida A&M struggled against Jackson State's aggressive defense, managing to shoot just 41.0% from the field, well below their usual offensive standards.

Roderick Coffee III was the standout player, leading all scorers with 30 points, along with four rebounds, five assists, and two steals for the Rattlers. Jordan Chatman and Milton Matthews each contributed 18 points in the loss.

Jackson State Tigers head coach Mo Williams looks down his sideline in the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Jackson State Tigers at the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Xavier led 40-25 at halftime. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tigers Become The Tournament Favorites

This quarterfinal matchup followed a major upset earlier in the day when No. 8 seed Grambling State defeated No. 1 seed Southern University 65-62 in overtime.

Southern's elimination has opened up a significant opportunity in the tournament bracket for Jackson State, Bethune-Cookman, Texas Southern, and last year's champions, Grambling.

As Jackson State advances to the semifinals, they will face the winner of Game Six between No. 3 Bethune-Cookman and No. 6 Alcorn State.

The semifinals are scheduled for March 14 at 8:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Tournament Structure

The 2025 Starry SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament presented by Buick features the conference's top ten teams and runs from Mar. 11-15. The men's championship game is set for Mar. 15 at 9:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

As most SWAC tournaments, nothing is more predictable than the unpredictable. Jackson State has a clearer path to the championship game and gaining the conference's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament.

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