In a stunning upset that sent shockwaves through the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, the No. 8 seed Grambling State Tigers knocked off the No. 1 seed Southern Jaguars 65-62 in overtime on Wednesday afternoon at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.
The Tigers, who entered the tournament with a 12-21 record, continued their improbable run after dispatching Alabama A&M 73-56 in the opening round on Tuesday. Grambling State’s hot shooting carried over into the quarterfinals, as they once again found their rhythm from beyond the arc.
Southern, the regular season SWAC champions with a 15-3 conference record, struggled to contain Grambling State’s offensive firepower despite entering as 6.5-point favorites. The Jaguars’ vaunted defense, which had limited opponents to just 58.1 points per game during the regular season, couldn’t slow down the Tigers’ attack.
Lou is MONEY! #GramFam | #ThisIsTheG🐯 pic.twitter.com/LUTeRzmK0J
— Grambling State Men’s Basketball (@gsutigers_mbb) March 12, 2025
Kintavious Dozier, Grambling State’s leading scorer, continued his strong tournament performance, while Mikale Stevenson built on his 17-point outing from the previous game. The Tigers’ balanced offense and timely shooting proved too much for Southern to overcome, even with the stellar play of guard Michael Jacobs.
The game remained tight throughout, with neither team able to build a substantial lead. As regulation time expired with the score tied, the tension in the arena was palpable. In the overtime period, Grambling State’s resilience shone through as they outplayed the top-seeded Jaguars to secure the victory.
This upset victory throws the SWAC Tournament wide open and deals a significant blow to Southern’s NCAA Tournament aspirations. Grambling State will now advance to the semifinals, where they’ll face the winner of the Texas Southern-Alabama State matchup.
The loss is particularly bitter for Southern, which had dominated the conference all season and was looking to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
This story was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by HBCU Sports journalists.
