BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | A Lorenzo Downey 3-pointer with 2:33 remaining gave the Alabama A&M University men's basketball team a one-point lead, but Texas Southern used an 8-0 run down the stretch to pick up a 72-65 win in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals on Friday at Bartow Arena. 
 
Texas Southern (16-15) advances to its second-ever SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament championship game as the Tigers will meet top seed and regular season champion Grambling State on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and televised live on ESPNU. Alabama A&M concludes its season at 11-22.

"We've been in these situations before," Alabama A&M head coach Otis Hughley Jr. said. "Tonight we just fell short. I am incredibly proud of our young men for battling and competing hard for 40 minutes. We went toe-to-toe with an outstanding program who won the league last year and is playing for an opportunity for a championship tomorrow."
 
Downey led four Alabama A&M players in double figures with 17 points, six rebounds and one assist. Jayland Randall registered 11 points, four boards, one assist and one block, while Omari Peek and Chad Moodie each recorded 10 points.
 
Jonathan Cisse paced Texas Southern with 18 points, four assists, three boards and one block. Deon Stroud added 17 points, including a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch, along with six boards, two assists and one block. PJ Henry chipped in 12 points, while Jaylen Wysinger tallied 11 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Alabama A&M got out of the gate slowly, as Texas Southern used an 11-2 run to begin the game, capped by a Henry jumper with 16:07 remaining in the opening half
• AAMU closed the gap to 16-9 after a Randall bucket with 11:27 left
• Back came TSU as Chris Craig threw down a dunk as the Tigers stretched their lead to 22-9 with 9:37 remaining
• The Bulldogs answered with a 12-0 run, capped by six straight points, cutting the deficit to 22-21 with just over six minutes to play
• However, TSU got some distance as Jaylen Wysinger drained a triple and Craig threw down another dunk as the Tigers pushed the advantage to 29-23 with 5:16 left
• Alabama A&M refused to back down as Austin Harvell threw one down on a putback dunk and Downey drained a trey, tying the game at 29 with 2:20 remaining
• Free throws by Cisse with six seconds sent Texas Southern into the break with a 33-31 advantage
• The Bulldogs opened the second half 0-for-7 from the floor as Texas Southern took a 41-33 lead after a triple by Stroud with 16:24 remaining
• A 3-pointer by Downey snapped the cold shooting spell from the Bulldogs as AAMU closed the gap to 41-38 with 15:36 left
• Back-to-back jumpers by Randall not only tied the game, but gave Alabama A&M its first lead, 43-41 with just over 13 minutes to play
• With the score tied at 46, Texas Southern used a small 7-0 run, capped by a layup by Kenny Hunter as the Tigers took a 53-46 lead with just under nine minutes remaining
• Alabama A&M continued to battle back as Darius Osborne and Downey drained clutch 3-pointers as the Bulldogs grabbed the 65-54 advantage with 2:33 left
• Texas Southern got a free throw by Cisse and after a turnover, Stroud sank a 3-pointer from the left corner as the Tigers grabbed a 68-65 lead with 58 seconds remaining
• On the next offensive set for AAMU, Downey's jumper was short and rebounded by Xavier Ball with 35 seconds left
• The Tigers sealed the game at the foul line down the stretch to reach the SWAC Tourney Championship Game 

GAME NOTES

• Alabama A&M shot 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the field and 75.0 percent (21-of-28) from the free-throw line
• The Bulldogs grabbed 36 rebounds, with 27 coming off the defensive glass
• Lorenzo Downey poured in 17 points, six rebounds and one assist
• Jayland Randall registered 11 points, four boards, one assist and one block
• Omari Peek and Chad Moodie each recorded 10 points
• The Bulldogs finished with 30 bench points, 26 points in the paint, 14 points off nine TSU turnovers, 12 second-chance points and 10 fastbreak points
• Texas Southern went 25-of-58 from the floor (43.1 percent) and 16-of-20 (80.0 percent) from the charity stripe
• The Tigers grabbed 32 boards, including 25 off the defensive glass
• Jonathan Cisse recorded 18 points, four assists, three boards and one block
• Deon Stroud added 17 points, with six boards, two assists and one block
• PJ Henry chipped in 12 points, while Jaylen Wysinger tallied 11 points
• The Tigers finished with 32 points in the paint, 19 bench points, 18 points off 13 AAMU turnovers, 12 second-chance points and 12 fastbreak points 

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