Texas Southern Routs Alcorn to Claim Back-to-Back SWAC Tournament Championships

The Texas Southern Tigers claimed its second-straight SWAC championship title.

Head coach Johnny Jones, and his Texas Southern basketball team have been here before. The Tigers are back-to-back winners of the SWAC Basketball Tournament after defeating Alcorn State 87-62. 

TSU will represent the conference in the 2022 NCAA Tournament with another shot at upsetting a higher-ranked Division 1 program, as they did in 2021.  The Tigers must win a "Play-In" game before advancing to the 64-team tournament.

The Tigers claimed the championship with a great team effort and tremendous defensive performance from forward Brison Gresham. 

Jones' team did not have a single player to average double figures during the regular season. Today, the TSU team had five players in double digits - Lawson (14 pts), Henry (15 pts), Nicholas (11 pts), Gresham (10 pts), and Walker III (17 pts).

Coach Johnny Jones (@CoachJohnnyJ12) and @TSUMensHoops cut down the nets after winning @theswac Tournament Championship. @TXSOTigers pic.twitter.com/SpLxp5mh1j

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) March 13, 2022

Walker's 17 points led the team in the 25-point rout over the Braves. TSU scored at 57.5% from the floor and only trailed for 29 seconds of the contest. The bench provided a spark and added 29 points. It was a team effort that could pay off huge in a highly contested NCAA tournament field this season.

Alcorn had a tremendous regular season as the SWAC regular-season champions, but tonight wasn't their night. Last season the Braves won 6 SWAC games, and this season they had 14 conference wins and were seeded No. 1 in the 2022 SWAC Basketball Tournament.

PJ Henry (Hartford) and Brison Gresham (Houston) experienced deep runs in last season's NCAA tournament. Coach Jones credited their leadership that would benefit the Tigers this season. 

I asked Coach Jones about Brison Gresham's outstanding defensive game. "I'm most excited about obviously the whole group. But Brison coming from the University of Houston last year, being on the Final Four there, and having a chance to cut down nets. For him to come over across the street [in Houston], and join us, and be on that same mission in how he's played and impacted our basketball team all year long. Be it on the practice floor, in the locker room, just his personality. He is just high really came in and bought in our basketball. It's in the leadership that he's given to this basketball team is one of the reasons I have an opportunity to be sitting here again tonight." Jones commented.

Coach Bussie; Credit: SWAC

Alcorn coach Landon Bussie felt the Braves didn't play their "best basketball" today. Yet, he was optimistic his squad would have an opportunity to "get into the NIT." He credited coach Jones and Texas Southern for being "more physical" and "wanted it more" than Alcorn.

TSU's PJ Henry was named the 2022 SWAC Men's Tournament MVP.

Other Stats

• 3-Pointers: TSU-12, Alcorn-18
• Bench Points: TSU-29, Alcorn-10
• Dunks: TSU-8, Alcorn-0
• In the Paint: TSU-48, Alcorn-16

Texas Southern is the winningest NCAA Division I HBCU men's basketball program.   Coach Jones proved that good coaching of great team players could go far during the tournament season.

PUNCH THAT TICKET FOR THE 10TH TIME!! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 @TSUMENSHOOPS 2022 @THESWAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPS! pic.twitter.com/6dybZ6WN4M

— Texas Southern University (TSU) Athletics (@TXSOTigers) March 13, 2022