COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Interstat) — The Southern women’s basketball team avenged two regular-season losses Friday, holding off Alabama A&M 51-49 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament game at Gateway Center Arena. The Lady Jaguars, who lost twice to the Bulldogs by a combined five points earlier this season, used a strong second quarter to build a lead and then survived a late push. Southern led 31-25 at halftime after outscoring Alabama A&M 20-11 in the second period. The Bulldogs closed within two points in the final quarter but could not complete the comeback. Aniya Palmer led Alabama A&M with 15 points and nine rebounds. Southern improved to 18-13, while Alabama A&M fell to 21-10. Attendance was 1,002.

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined more by grit than grace, the Southern Lady Jaguars edged the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 51-49 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament quarterfinal on Friday at Gateway Center Arena. The game, played before an announced crowd of 1,002, was a tense, low-scoring affair that saw Southern overcome a slow start and a significant individual performance from Alabama A&M’s Aniya Palmer to advance. The victory improved Southern’s record to 18-13 overall, while Alabama A&M’s season ended at 21-10. The contest’s defining characteristic was offensive inefficiency. Southern managed just 21 field goals on 58 attempts, a 36.2% clip, while Alabama A&M was slightly more accurate but less prolific, hitting 16 of 45 from the floor for 35.6%. Both teams struggled from deep, combining to make only 5 of 20 three-point attempts. The Bulldogs kept pace primarily through free throws, converting 16 of 22 attempts compared to Southern’s 5 of 6. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute, with Southern clinging to a one-point lead. After Alabama A&M’s Kaila Walker split a pair of free throws with 21 seconds remaining to cut Southern’s lead to 49-48, the Bulldogs had a chance to take the lead or tie. Following a Southern timeout, the Lady Jaguars executed a decisive play. Mykayla Cunningham found Jocelyn Tate cutting to the basket, and Tate converted a floating jump shot with one second left on the clock to push Southern’s advantage to 51-48. Alabama A&M had one final desperation attempt, but a foul sent Rakiyah Beal to the line with a chance to tie. Beal made the first free throw but intentionally missed the second, hoping for an offensive rebound and putback. The attempt caromed out of bounds as time expired, sealing the narrow victory for Southern. The game began with Alabama A&M establishing an early edge, leading 14-11 after the first quarter behind six points from Palmer. Southern responded with its best offensive stretch in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 20-11. A key 8-0 run, fueled by a Jestiny Dixon three-pointer and five points from Jaylia Reed, helped the Lady Jaguars turn a deficit into a 31-25 halftime lead. Southern’s offense stagnated in the third quarter, managing only eight points as Alabama A&M chipped away. The Bulldogs took their first lead since the first quarter when Coriah Beck’s free throws made it 38-36 late in the period. The fourth quarter featured five lead changes and two ties, with neither team leading by more than four points. Palmer, who finished with a game-high 15 points and nine rebounds for Alabama A&M, gave her team a 46-44 lead with a pull-up jumper at the 6:17 mark. Southern answered with six straight points, including a Demya Porter layup and Tate’s free throw, to go ahead 50-46 with 4:43 to play, setting the stage for the frantic finish. For Southern, balance was key. Demya Porter posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Jocelyn Tate provided a crucial spark off the bench with 10 points and four rebounds in just 12 minutes. Jaylia Reed added nine points. Olivia Delancy contributed eight points, six rebounds and a block. Alabama A&M was led by Palmer’s all-around effort. Coriah Beck supported her with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Maori Davenport controlled the paint defensively with seven rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes. The game was a rubber match after the teams split their regular-season meetings, each winning on the other’s home floor by three-point margins. Southern’s victory avenged a 64-61 loss in Huntsville just eight days prior and propelled them into a semifinal matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Statistically, the game was remarkably even. Southern held slight advantages in points off turnovers (16-10), points in the paint (30-22), and offensive rebounds (9-6). Both teams committed double-digit turnovers, with Alabama A&M edging Southern 15-14. The Lady Jaguars’ offensive rating of 77.4 points per 100 possessions barely outpaced the Bulldogs’ 76.0, underscoring the defensive nature of the contest. The win continues a strong late-season push for Southern, which has now won five of its last six games. Alabama A&M, which entered the tournament as a higher seed and a slight favorite according to pregame projections, saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion for the second consecutive year in the SWAC tournament.

Preview: Southern Lady Jaguars vs. Alabama A&M Bulldogs COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Interstat) — A tight conference rivalry adds a postseason chapter Friday when the Southern Lady Jaguars face the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game at Gateway Center Arena. The Bulldogs (21-9), who hold the season series edge, look to continue their recent mastery over the Lady Jaguars (17-13). Alabama A&M has won the last two meetings, both by three points or fewer, including a 64-61 victory on March 5. Southern enters having snapped a two-game skid with a 64-51 win over Jackson State on Thursday. The Lady Jaguars are led by guard Jocelyn Tate, who posted 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists in that victory. Tate scored 17 points in the loss at Alabama A&M eight days ago. However, Alabama A&M boasts the hottest player on the floor in guard Kaila Walker. She is coming off a dominant 31-point, six-rebound performance in a 72-68 win over Florida A&M on Wednesday. Walker, who averages 38 minutes over her last seven games, scored 15 points in the earlier win over Southern. The Bulldogs have won seven straight games and are 13-2 since Jan. 31. Their defense has been a hallmark, holding opponents under 55 points in five of those seven wins. Southern’s path likely requires containing Walker and finding consistent scoring beyond Tate. Olivia Delancy, who had 18 points against Jackson State, could be a key factor. The neutral-site setting in College Park adds a new variable to the rivalry. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, Alabama A&M is projected with a 52.30 percent probability to win. Tip-off is scheduled for Friday, March 13, 2026.