March 6, 2008

Final Stats

Evan Hilton paced Alabama A&M (13-14,10-7 SWAC) with a game-high 20 points to help the Bulldogs edge Jackson State (12-18,10-7 SWAC),64-61, at T.M. Elmore Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season Sat. March 8 when they host Grambling State for senior day.

AAMU increased its advantage to nine points, 37-28, in the beginning of the second half. However, JSU used a 9-3 run to gain its first advantage since the 9:09 mark of the first half to take a 41-40 lead with 14:07 to play in regulation. The score was knotted twice over the next minute at 41-41 and 44-44 before the visiting Tigers recaptured the advantage with 7:17 showing on the clock. Jackson State kept the lead for the proceeding five-plus minutes until the Bulldogs tied the score at 57-57 and retook control of the game at 59-57 with 1:17 left. The Tigers knotted the score twice more at 59-59 and 61-61 with 17 ticks on the clock. A free-throw by Jonathan Belt and a pair from Hilton in the remaining seconds secured the win for the Bulldogs.

In the first half, both teams played each other evenly as the score was tied twice and lead changed hands three times. The Bulldogs led by as many nine points, 27-18, with just over four minutes remaining in the half, until JSU sliced into the advantage with a 9-2 run to trail by just three, 30-27. However, A&M scored five unanswered points, capped by a Kudus Ogbara trey to close out the half and head into the locker room with a 34-27 cushion.

For the Bulldogs, Hilton was one point shy of tying his career high of 21 points. Desmond Jackson tallied 16 points on 5-of-9, including a 4-for-7 mark from three point land. Ogbara chipped in with nine points. Mickell Gladness was one block and one rebound shy of his seventh double-double of the season with nine blocks and nine rebounds. Darrion Griffin led JSU with 17 points. Jeremy Caldwell had 12 points and game-best 13 boards. Catraiva Givens and Grant Maxey tallied 11 points and 10 points, respectively.

A&M will close out its regular season on Sat. March 8 when they host Grambling State for senior day. The game is slated for 4 p.m.