‘We made the last play’: Jackson State grinds out SWAC Tournament win

/ Basketball / By

Jackson State coach Mo Williams didn’t hide how much Tuesday night’s 68-65 win over Grambling State meant to his team.

The Tigers survived a physical SWAC Tournament battle and advanced despite being without SWAC Player of the Year Daeshun Ruffin and being forced to adjust on the fly.

In what was a back-and-forth battle at the Gateway Center, it was Dorian McMillian, who had not been asked to carry the load offensively for JSU all season, doing just that in the biggest game of the year.

The sophomore finished the night with 15 points off the bench, all in the second half, hitting 3-of-8 from long distance, and gave JSU a much-needed spark.

Both Grambling and Jackson State traded baskets down the stretch until Jackson State took a 66-65 lead on a driving lay-up from Jalen Tatum with 24 seconds to play.

Tatum finished with a game-high 18 points and added four assists, playing a season-high 36 minutes.​

Jackson State found a way with collective effort

“I couldn’t be more proud of my group,” Williams said after the win. “We held them to 32 percent in the first half and 38 percent overall. It’s a game of runs and plays, and I thought we made the last play.”

With foul trouble and injuries limiting his normal rotation, Williams leaned on a smaller lineup and asked several players like McMillian (a usual starter who had played sparingly in recent weeks due to injury), Delyle Williams and Tatum to shoulder expanded roles.

“I needed him to step up,” Williams said of MacMillan. “That’s why I went to him early in the second half. As a coach, you can only put them in position. It’s up to the player to be prepared and want to make winning plays.”

MacMillan said the second half felt like a restart of the season after missing the last couple of weeks. He spent halftime firing up three-pointers to build rhythm. That confidence carried into the final 20 minutes, where he attacked off the dribble and spaced the floor for his teammates.

“We’re back in the (SWAC) tournament after losing in the championship game last season,” he said. “So this year, we’re not doing that.”

Jackson State’s bench production proved crucial, scoring 20 points, which highlighted the significance of having a usual starter like MacMillan able to come in and contribute. He believes that kind of contribution can tighten the group’s chemistry at the right time.

“Having him come off the bench is really a bonus for us,” Williams said. “Hopefully, tonight gave him some confidence and brought us even closer together. Tomorrow it might be a different guy, maybe the same guy, but we’re going to need guys ready to step up.”

Just like they drew it up

When asked if he drew up the late game-winning play, Williams allowed himself “a little credit” but quickly turned it back to execution. He said his players deserved the praise for reading the floor and finishing in a pressure moment.

Now, the focus shifts quickly to the next opponent, Florida A&M, in the SWAC tournament quarterfinals. Williams was not asked about the status of Ruffin, who was injured in the regular season finale win over Mississippi Valley State.

“We don’t look ahead,” he said. “We’ve been here before. We know how to survive and advance. It’s a whole different game plan, a whole different team, a whole different problem we’ve got to solve. The most important thing is for us to be prepared.”

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