JACKSON, Miss. (Interstat) — In a high-octane, back-and-forth affair that saw 15 lead changes and neither team lead by more than eight points, Daeshun Ruffin’s career-high 31 points propelled the Jackson State Tigers to an 89-86 victory over the Alcorn State Braves in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center.

The contest, which featured remarkably efficient offense from both sides, was decided in the final 20 seconds. With the score tied at 86, Jackson State’s Tamarion Hoover drove for a layup with 34 seconds remaining, drawing a foul and converting the free throw to complete the three-point play, putting the Tigers ahead for good at 89-86. Alcorn State had two chances to tie in the final 11 seconds, but Bryson Calamese had a three-point attempt blocked by Jayme Mitchell and then missed another from deep as time expired.

Ruffin, a Jackson native, was the catalyst throughout for Jackson State, adding eight assists to his scoring total. His performance was critical in offsetting a prolific shooting display from Alcorn State’s backcourt. The Braves connected on 14 of 26 three-point attempts, a 53.8% clip, with Shane Lancaster and Davian Williams combining for 11 of those makes.

Williams led Alcorn State with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Lancaster and Nick Woodard each contributed 21 points. Woodard added seven rebounds and three assists. For Jackson State, Dorian McMillian scored 14 points, and both Devin Ree and Jayme Mitchell added 14 apiece, with Mitchell’s coming alongside four rebounds and a critical late block.

The game’s most important sequence unfolded in the final minute. After Alcorn State’s Woodard tipped in a miss to tie the game at 86 with 20 seconds left, Jackson State eschewed a timeout. Ruffin pushed the pace, found Hoover on the wing, and his decisive drive and finish through contact provided the final margin. The Tigers then secured the win with their defense on Alcorn State’s final frantic possessions.

Despite the loss, Alcorn State showcased significant offensive improvement. The Braves entered the game with the nation’s lowest offensive rating among Division I teams but posted an efficient 118.8 points per 100 possessions against Jackson State. Their 14 three-pointers were a season high. Jackson State was even more efficient, scoring 125.6 points per 100 possessions, fueled by 21-of-25 shooting from the free-throw line compared to Alcorn State’s 14-of-24.

The victory improved Jackson State to 2-12 overall and 1-0 in SWAC play, while Alcorn State fell to 1-12 and 0-1. Both teams had endured challenging non-conference schedules filled with road games against power conference opponents, making the start of league play a reset for their seasons.

Jackson State, which was a 3.5-point pregame favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook, saw the total score of 175 far surpass the over/under line of 146.5, highlighting the unexpected offensive outburst. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Tigers a 72.7% probability to win entering the contest.

The Tigers will look to build on the conference-opening win when they travel to face Alabama State on Jan. 10. Alcorn State seeks its first SWAC win on the same date at Alabama A&M.