Box Score / Cornelius Hester finished with a team-high 23 points - including 21 points in the second half - as the Alabama A&M men's basketball team second-half comeback fell short against Jackson State, 70-64. The Bulldogs only scored 19 first half points, but outscored the Tigers 45-30 in the second half. Jonathan Inman tallied 11 points, including 7-for-8 at the stripe to lead all bench scorers. Maurice Kemp and Casey Cantey finished with 10 points apiece on the night. The Bulldogs are back in action on Sat. March 6 when they host Grambling beginning 6 p.m.

In the second period, Jackson State scored the first points of the half to take a 42-19 spread within the opening minute. Sparked by a Hester three-pointer at the 19:18 mark, the Bulldogs proceeded to go on an 18-5 run over a five-minute span to bring themselves to within 10, 47-37, at 14:18. The Tigers pushed the spread to 58-43, but A&M used a 14-5 run - capped by a Cantey layup - to slice into the double-digit deficit to cut it to 63-54 with just under four minutes left in the game. JSU's  Phillip Williams scored a basket at 3:28, before the Bulldogs rattled off five straight unanswered - highlighted by a Hester fastbreak slam - to trail 65-63 with 1:24 remaining in regulation. A&M would get no closer than that, however.

AAMU only converted 16-of-52 attempts from the field to finish with a 30.8 clip. The Bulldogs converted 21 Tiger miscues into 25 points. JSU, however, held a commanding 43-28 advantage on the glass.

Garrison Johnson led Jackson State with a game-high 24 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 5-for-9 from behind the arc. Tyron Hanson led the bench production with 11 points. De'Suan Dixon tallied a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bulldogs will host Grambling on Sat. March 6 beginning at 6 p.m.