SWAC Tournament - Day 3: PV Upsets BCU, AAMU Wins Nailbiter, UAPB & FAMU March On

A day of major upsets and nailbiters ruled on Day 3 of the SWAC Basketball Tournament at Gateway Center.

PVAMU Men's Basketball | Credit: PVAMU Athletics

Day 3 at the 2026 SWAC Basketball Tournament delivered excitement. The No. 1-seeded men lost to No. 8, 71-67. The women’s bracket also saw a close contest, with its No. 1 falling in a nailbiter, 72-68. The games were intriguing and offered plenty of drama as the tournament heads towards a close on Saturday.

DAY 3 - SWAC WOMEN’S BRACKET

No. 8 FAMU vs. No. 1 AAMU

No. 1 Alabama A&M opened the day against No. 8 Florida A&M, playing before nearly 1,500 spectators at Gateway Center. The Lady Bulldogs faced constant pressure from the Lady Rattlers. However, they avoided a colossal fall and pulled off a 72-68 victory, advancing to the semifinal round.   The win made it 18th-straight for Alabama A&M.

“One thing we wanted to make sure that we weren't going to do was to lie down,” AAMU head coach Dawn Thornton said. “We had to complete the game. We trust our defense. That's what we've been doing all season.”

The winner of Thursday’s Southern-Jackson State matchup will be even more formidable for Alabama A&M, which will meet them in the semifinal after advancing with a 72-68 victory at 11:00 a.m. ET on Friday, March 13.  

DAY 3 Top Performers | HBCU LEGENDS

Kaila Walker led with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Aniya Palmer added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Coriah Beck had 11 points and 5 assists.

Miya Giles-Jones paced the Rattlers with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Shaniya McCarthy had 16 points and 5 rebounds. Cornelia Ellington scored 10 with 2 rebounds.

The Rattlers trailed by 7 points after the first quarter. They made a furious push to equal the top-seeded Bulldogs, 30-30, at halftime. During intermission, FAMU head coach Bridgette Gordon told ESPN she expected her team to play with “tenacity,” just as she did as a player. Her team responded.

Dawn Thornton’s squad was battling a determined foe who was only down by two points, 48-46, after three quarters expired.    

Two reasons the Rattlers were close to an upset were their 2nd-chance point (24) and bench scoring (19) advantage.   What held FAMU off was how Alabama A&M fought for 40 points in the paint and cashed in on 10 fast-break points.

Tahhnyjia Purifoy found Cornelia Ellington open. Ellington gave Florida A&M a 61-60 lead with a three-pointer from Downtown Atlanta. The Rattlers twice extended the lead by four points. The Bulldogs erased the deficit when Aniya Palmer stole the ball from Purifoy. She raced downcourt and tied the game at 66 with 1:45 remaining.

Vanessa Wimberly hit a close jumper to give AAMU a 68-66 lead at 50 seconds on the game clock, forcing the Rattlers to call a timeout to regroup.

Following a Purifoy missed shot, Kaila Walker penetrated the paint, scoring on a layup to increase Alabama A&M’s lead, 70-66, with 26 seconds left in regulation.

Walker split free throws to make it 71-66 with 16 seconds left. Miya Giles-Jones maneuvered past several Bulldogs and scored a layup with 10 seconds left. Belton added a free throw, giving Alabama A&M a 72-68 victory.

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No. 7 UAPB vs. No. 2 Alcorn State

Alcorn State trailed by 17 points with 9:28 remaining in the 4th quarter, then mounted an impressive rally to get within 3 points before Arkansas-Pine Bluff gained the upset win, 64-60.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Golden Lions head coach Erica Leak said.  “You've got to just stay poised, stay aggressive” is how UAPB won the game.

Jailah Pelly led UAPB with 19 points. Khaniah Gardner added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and Indiya Bowen had 14 points, 4 assists.

Nakia Cheatham led Alcorn State with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Kiarra Henderson and Lauren Nelson each scored 16 for UAPB.

UAPB will face the winner of the No. 3 Alabama State versus Grambling State contest at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday in the Gateway Center.

🚨 BRACKET UPDATE

Quarterfinals Play continues!

➡️ Game 7
⏰ 11AM EST | #4 Southern vs #5 Jackson State

➡️ Game 8
⏰ 5:30 PM EST | #3 Alabama State vs #6 Grambling State#SWACWBB | #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/flcpeSP0ZT

— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) March 12, 2026

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DAY 3 - SWAC MEN’S BRACKET

No. 8 PVAMU vs. No. 1 Bethune-Cookman

The biggest stunner of Day 3 was No. 8 Prairie View A&M defeating No. 1 Bethune-Cookman, 71-67, creating havoc at the SWAC Tournament. 925 spectators witnessed the game tied 12 times and the lead changing 14 times.

“Very proud,” Panthers head coach Byron Smith said.  “These guys are very resilient, but they stay together, and they fought. And great things happen when you stay together.”

Still Rolling 😏#PvamuMBB | #PantherPride pic.twitter.com/staWPvIehL

— PVAMU Men’s Basketball (@PVAMU_MBB) March 11, 2026

All-SWAC guard Dontae Horne continued to light up the conference, scoring a game-hight 30 points for the Prairie View victory.   Cory Wells made some great plays in support, adding 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers.  Point guard Lance Williams was a factor for the Wildcats' defense, scoring 12 points and dishing out 6 assists.

Oddly enough, the Panthers’ bench was outscored 2-23, yet the starters found a way to win and advance to the semifinal round against the winner of Thursday's No. 4 Texas Southern vs. No. 5 Alabama A&M game.  Should the Panthers and TSU meet, Prairie View will look to win 3 games against the Tigers this season, already completing the regular-season sweep.

Congratulations again to Dontae Horne & Tai'Reon Joseph as they were officially presented their awards as All-SWAC selections!@DontaeTheGreat x @Scootah3_ #PvamuMBB | #PantherPride pic.twitter.com/b4JQi4Y6qh

— PVAMU Men’s Basketball (@PVAMU_MBB) March 8, 2026

Coach Smith told HBCU Legends in last week’s postgame interview, “I’m not really into predicting projections...last year you had Alabama State [winning the 2025 SWAC Tournament]...they got hot at the right time.  So I talk to my guys all the time that maybe we can have a run like Alabama State.”

In 2019, Smith led the Panthers to the SWAC regular season and tournament titles, also being named the conference’s Coach of the Year.  He has the ability to get a team ready for tourney action, especially with prolific scorers like Dontae Horne, Cory Wells, and Tai’Reon Joseph returning to the lineup after suffering a nagging foot injury.  

Joseph was limited to 13 minutes, scoring 2 points and 2 rebounds.

BRACKET UPDATE 🚨

Quarterfinals Play continues tomorrow!

➡️ Game 7
⏰ 2PM EST | #4 Texas Southern vs #5 Alabama A&M

➡️ Game 8
⏰ 8:30 PM EST | #3 Southern vs #6 Arkansas-Pine Bluff#SWACMBB | #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/1l4hUjP0vf

— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) March 12, 2026

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No.7 Jackson State vs. No. 2 Florida A&M

First-year head coach Charlie Ward continues to march on after Florida A&M held off Jackson State, 70-60, in Wednesday’s SWAC quarterfinal contest.

Antonio Baker led the Rattlers with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Tyler Shirley also had 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Kaleb Washington and Jaquan Sanders scored 10 each.

FAMU is advancing to the SWAC semifinals under first-year head coach Charlie Ward. 🐍

The Rattlers defeated Jackson State tonight, 70-60, with four players in double figures.#FAMUly @FAMU_MBB pic.twitter.com/azxW8oMNAj

— LIGHT ON COLLEGE SPORTS (@LightOnSports) March 12, 2026

Jayme Mitchell Jr. scored 19 for JSU. Teammates Dorian McMillian, Devin Ree, and Delyle Williams each added double figures.

Jackson State was without SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and the Tigers’ leading scorer, Daeshun Ruffin, who has a lower-leg injury.

The Rattlers advance to meet the winner of Thursday’s contest between No. 3 Southern and No. 6 UAPB.