title image via Shantalle Demirjian
Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics
JACKSON, Miss. – Ken Evans Jr. scored 25 points to help lead the Jackson State men’s basketball team past the Texas Southern Tigers 73-64 at home Monday inside the Lee E. Williams Athletics & Assembly Center live on ESPNU. In scoring those 25 points, Evens joined an elite list, becoming the latest Tiger to score over 1,000 points at Jackson State.
Evans added eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals to his 25-point game to lead the Tigers (8-10, 4-1 SWAC). Zeke Cook contributed 12 points, nine rebounds, and two steals, and Keijuan Johnson chipped in with nine points and two blocks coming off the bench.
Treyon Johnson pulled down two offensive rebounds to lead the Jackson State offense, which grabbed 11 boards and turned them into nine second-chance points.
Jackson State forced 15 Texas Southern (5-12, 3-3 SWAC) turnovers that they converted into 15 points on the other end of the floor. The Tigers turned those takeaways into 15 points on the offensive end of the floor. Chase Adams led the way individually with three steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 2-0, Jackson State went on a 10-0 run with 18:44 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Coltie Young to take a 10-2 lead. The Tigers then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 31-21 advantage. The Tigers capitalized on nine Texas Southern turnovers in the period, turning them into nine points on the other end of the floor.
With 15:23 remaining in the game, Jackson State maintained its lead before going on a 6-0 run that culminated in Adams’ three-pointer to increase the lead to 43-27. Texas Southern narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Tigers still cruised the rest of the way for the 73-64 win. Jackson State got out on the break in the period, scoring 16 of their 22 fast break points in the second half.
Game Notes
- The Tigers held the Tigers to only 37.5 percent shooting from the field.
- Jackson State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
- Jackson State tallied 15 total assists in the game.
- Jackson State had a 39-33 edge on the boards in the win.
- The Jackson State defense forced 15 turnovers.
- The Tigers actively affected shots on the defensive end, recording six blocks as a team, which ties a team-high.
- Jackson State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
- The Tigers shot 88 percent (22-25) from the free-throw line, which is a season-high
- Jackson State got a game-high nine rebounds from Zeke Cook.
- Evans scored a game-high 25 points and has now scored 20 or more in nine games this season.
- Evans is the latest Tiger to score over 1,000 career points for his career all at Jackson State.
Up Next
The Tigers will return on the road and head to the Sunshine State as they travel to Daytona Beach to face the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, January 27, and that game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tipoff. The action can be heard on the SippFM, with Rob Jay calling the action.
