HUNTSVILLE -- The Bulldogs held the SWAC's highest-scoring team 20 points below its average but fell to Southern 53-52 in a nail-biter Saturday night.
The Jaguars came into the game averaging 73.5 points per game and boasted the league's top scorer in Shawn Prudhomme, who averaged 17.5 points per game. It was the Jags' lowest point-total of the season, matching their total in a 64-53 loss to Southeastern Louisiana in December.
The Bulldogs held Southern to 39.2 percent shooting from the floor, including just 2 of 10 from three-point range. The Jags led the league with a .446 field-goal shooting percentage.
A&M's defense limited Prudhomme to 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting, but it was a basket by LaQuentin Collins, his only score of the game, that proved to be the game-winner.
Quinterian McConico led the Bulldogs with 22 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
And it was McConico who had a chance to put A&M into the win column with a pair of free throws with two seconds left.
After Collins' go-ahead layup, Rakiya Battle brought the ball across midcourt. Seeing an opening, he drove to the basket and dropped a pass off to McConico who went up for a dunk.
However, he was fouled on the play, sending him to the free-throw line.
But the senior center missed both free throws and Southern's Chris Thomas gathered in the second miss to wrap up the win.
A&M trailed just 28-26 at the half and took a 34-32 lead with 15:53 to play on a De'Ederick Petty layup.
Then, the Jags tied the score and maintained a lead for the next 10 minutes until Marcus Merriweather hit a layup and a 48-46 A&M lead.
The two teams exchanged baskets and the Bulldogs took a 52-50 lead with 1:24 to play on a layup by McConico.
A free-throw by Southern's Jared Sam cut the margin to 52-51 with 1:01 to play, setting up Collins' basket.
The Bulldogs host Alcorn State on Monday with tipoff slated for 7:30 p.m.
