Jackson State University secured a 91-86 win over Bethune-Cookman on Monday night in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play at the Lee E. Williams Athletics & Assembly Center. The victory helped Jackson State (9-17, 8-5 SWAC) move within two games of the conference lead after completing a weekend sweep against Florida teams.
The Tigers relied on strong performances from three players who each scored more than 20 points. Daeshun Ruffin led with 28 points and six assists, making 15 out of 16 free throws. Jayme Mitchell Jr. contributed 21 points and eight rebounds, while Dorian McMillian added 20 points and seven rebounds.
Both teams exchanged leads until Jackson State began to pull ahead with less than five minutes remaining. The Tigers built an 81-75 advantage before Bethune-Cookman closed the gap to two points at 81-79 with just over three minutes left. Ruffin’s pair of free throws extended the lead to four, and late plays by Dionjahe Thomas and McMillian secured the win for Jackson State in the final seconds.
Jackson State finished the game shooting 48.2 percent from the field and made half of their three-point attempts (10-of-20). They converted on 77.1 percent of their free throws. Bethune-Cookman shot slightly lower from the field at 46.8 percent but struggled from long range, hitting only three of seventeen attempts.
Jakobi Heady and Daniel Rouzan were top scorers for Bethune-Cookman, each recording 25 points.
In the first half, Jackson State shot 43.3 percent from the floor and improved to nearly 54 percent in the second half, also increasing their accuracy from beyond the arc as well as at the free throw line.
Jackson State will next travel to face Alcorn State on Saturday.
For further updates about Jackson State athletics, fans can follow @GoJSUTigers on Instagram and Twitter or visit GoJSUTigers.com for official information about teams and schedules.
