Harrison Smith scored 19 points as Texas Southern survived blowing a 14-point lead to edge Alabama A&M, 83-78, in overtime at Elmore Building in Normal Saturday.
With the victory, the Tigers (16-10, 14-1) clinched at least a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season title. Even if TSU loses its last three games and Jackson State (11-4 SWAC) wins its last three, they would be tied. TSU swept the season series between the two and would earn the top seed in the SWAC tournament.
Texas Southern had a 48-34 lead early in the second half, but squandered it by being on the short end of a 25-9 run by the Bulldogs (12-12, 9-6). Fortunately, Kevin Galloway, who dished out 10 assists, made a free throw with 26 seconds left to send the game in to overtime, tied 70-70.
Travele Jones added 18 points for the Tigers, who led 48-34 early in the second half. Lawrence Johnson-Danner had 10 points, while Justin Ray came off the bench for 10 points in the Tigers' eighth straight victory.
Although TSU shot 51.7 percent from the floor, they harmed their cause by missed 14 of their 27 free throw attempts.
Cornelius Hester led AAMU with 18 points off the bench, while Demarquelle Tabb nailed a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Casey Cantey had 16 points and Bo Amusa poured in 10 points.
The Bulldogs used the 25-9 run to turn their 14-point deficit into a 59-57 lead with 8:13 remaining. They took their lead up as large as five points, 64-59 with 6:10 left, but couldn't hold it.
Other scores
Division I
MEAC
Bethune-Cookman 76, South Carolina State 72
Hampton 71, Delaware State 64
Maryland-Eastern Shore 73, Howard 63
Norfolk State 69, Morgan State 63
North Carolina A&T 76, Coppin State 72
North Carolina Central 58, Florida A&M 55
Ohio Valley Conference
Tennessee State 66, Eastern Illinois 62
SWAC
Alabama State 68, Prairie View A&M 61
Alcorn State 83, Southern 74
Grambling State 75, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 57
Jackson State 82, Mississippi Valley State 63
Division II
CIAA
Livingstone 82, Johnson C. Smith 65
Shaw 85, St. Augustine's 84 (2 OT)
Virginia State 72, Chowan 63
Winston-Salem State 79, Fayetteville State 69
Independent
Central State 86, District of Columbia 84
Mid-American Intercollegiate
Washburn 69, Lincoln (Mo.) 67
Pennsylvania State Athletic
Cheyney 76, Mansfield 67
West Virginia Intercollegiate
Bluefield State 74, Concord 65
Cheyney 76, Mansfield (W.Va.) 67
NAIA
Gulf Coast Athletic
Xavier (La.) 72, Dillard 59
Tougaloo 92, Southern-New Orleans 81
Red River Athletic
Paul Quinn 62, Bacone 58
Southwestern Assemblies 81, Langston 79
Texas Wesleyan 96, Jarvis Christian 72
Wiley College 82, Huston-Tillotson 67
Miscellaneous
Voorhees 78, Talladega 73
Williams Baptist 58, Harris-Stowe 55
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