Photo by Cameron Adams
Cameron Adams
Sports Editor
Jackson State University Lady Tigers basketball team continues to be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with throughout the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
On Feb. 18, 2023, the JSU Lady Tigers completely dominated Alcorn State University in front of a packed home crowd, defeating the Braves 81-49.
With this victory, the Lady Tigers extended their winning streak to ten games, cementing themselves even more as the leaders of the SWAC.
The story of the game revolves around the bench unit, which supplied 29 points to Alcorn’s 12.
Jariyah Covington, a 5’5 guard from Starkville, Miss., put up an amazing offensive display. She notched 22 points and only missed three shots throughout the game, making seven out of ten shots.
Covington was the leading scorer of the Tigers’ dominant performance, earning her SWAC honors for Women’s Basketball Impact Player of the Week.
Liz Martino, a 6’ 0 junior guard from Lanham, Md., was the second highest scoring player of the team, putting 11 points from the bench, thanks to her three shots from behind the arc.
In the first quarter, the game was a close match-up. Alcorn was looking dominant, forcing several stops on the Tigers. The score was 11-7 with a couple of minutes remaining in the period.
Britney Taplin, a junior marketing major from Byram, Miss., believed that the Tigers were on the verge of facing defeat.
“I was a little worried at first since they started the game aggressively,” Taplin stated. “But then JSU started to heat up.”
Jackson State immediately responded with a seven-point run, stopping Alcorn in its tracks. JSU continued their scoring efforts, causing Alcorn to enter the quarter break down 19-13.
The Lady Tigers’ offensive efforts weren’t the only problem for Alcorn. JSU displayed their patented defense, forcing several stops and turnovers on the Braves.
The second quarter was the deciding factor of the game. Jackson State completely outscored Alcorn due to their defensive pressure, forcing seven steals in the period and converting them into easy points.
The Tigers held Alcorn to just 25.8 percent shooting, causing the Braves to be timid from the field. JSU also racked up 11 steals and gained 16 points off of their turnovers.
Bryson Reems, a replay manager for Jackson State’s Athletics program and junior healthcare administration major from Oakland, Calif., was impressed with the defensive performance of the Tigers.
“They were able to make some big time stops and force several steals which dictated the whole game,” stated Reems.
She also believes that the Tigers can keep their momentum going and finish the season as SWAC champions.
“At the rate that they’re going, I believe that they can win the championship yet again,” said Reems.
The Tigers managed to wrap up the game by halftime, going into the break leading 40-23.
Despite having the huge lead at halftime, the Lady Tigers refused to let up. Thanks to several seven-point runs, JSU closed out the game emphatically, rewarding the fans for their constant energy.
Lady Tigers head coach Tomekia Reed thanked the Tigers fans who packed the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center way before the game started.
“I want to thank our fans for coming to the gym early,” stated Reed. “We need you guys in this final stretch with Texas Southern and Prairie View on the clock.”
Jackson State faces off against Texas Southern at home on Saturday Feb. 25 and look to extend their winning streak to 11.
