Southern Edges No. 1 Seed Alabama A&M on Tate’s Late Jumper, Advances to SWAC Championship

Southern survived a physical back-and-forth battle and defeated Alabama A&M 51-49 after Jocelyn Tate delivered the game-winning jumper with one second remaining.

The game opened with both teams struggling to find rhythm offensively, but Southern struck first off an Alabama A&M turnover when Mykayla Cunningham found the scoreboard and Zaria Hurston followed with a second-chance basket for an early 4-0 lead. Alabama A&M responded with defensive pressure and timely scoring, tying the game at 4-4 on a layup by Jaida Belton before taking its first lead on a jumper from Coriah Beck. Southern answered behind Hurston, who converted an and-one opportunity, and Jocelyn Tate added a transition layup off a steal to help the Jaguars regain momentum. Alabama A&M stayed close and used a late three from Rakiyah Beal plus free throws from Aniya Palmer to close the first quarter on a 6-0 run and take a 14-11 lead.

In the second quarter, Southern fought back quickly. Olivia Delancy opened the scoring with a driving layup, and the Jaguars continued to attack inside with Demya Porter and Jaylia Reed. Alabama A&M answered with second-chance opportunities, including a tip-in from Palmer and a jumper by Belton, but Southern found a spark from the perimeter. Jestiny Dixon knocked down a three-pointer to give Southern a 20-18 edge, and Delancy later hit a second-chance three to stretch the margin. Reed also connected from deep late in the quarter, while Southern’s defense produced key stops and blocks around the rim. Alabama A&M stayed within reach behind Palmer, Walker, and Beck, but Southern carried a 31-25 lead into halftime after Delancy buried a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The third quarter belonged to Alabama A&M early as the Bulldogs tightened defensively and chipped away at the deficit. Palmer scored on a tip-in, Beck added a mid-range basket, and Davenport finished at the rim to give Alabama A&M its first lead of the second half at 42-41. Southern refused to let the game slip away, answering with Tate’s three-point play and Porter’s inside scoring to keep the margin tight. The Bulldogs continued to pressure the ball and got key baskets from Palmer and Beck, but Southern got a late basket from D’shantae Edwards to take a narrow 39-38 lead into the fourth.

The final quarter was a battle on every possession. Porter opened the period with a second-chance bucket, but Alabama A&M answered with scores from Beck and Davenport to move ahead 44-41. Southern responded once again through Tate, who scored inside and converted a free throw to tie the game, and Porter added another layup as the Jaguars reclaimed the lead. Alabama A&M kept coming, getting free throws from Walker and Beal to erase another Southern advantage and tie the score at 49-49 with 21 seconds left.

Out of a timeout, Southern went to Tate, and she delivered the biggest shot of the game with a jumper in the paint with one second remaining to put the Jaguars ahead 51-49. Alabama A&M had one final chance after a timeout, but Walker’s last-second attempt missed, and Southern escaped with the two-point victory.

Southern made the winning plays when it mattered most, leaning on second-chance points, interior scoring, and clutch execution in the closing seconds. Alabama A&M battled throughout and had every opportunity to steal it down the stretch, but Tate’s decisive jumper was the final word as the Jaguars advanced to the 2026 SWAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Game Saturday at 1:00 PM EST.