After Southern men and women swept the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament titles Saturday night, coach Sandy Pugh and guard Chris Alexander met at half court and briefly slapped high fives amidst celebration.
Both faces showed a look of satisfaction
They had great things in common.
Now, after sharing the spotlight in a season that also witnessed both programs win the SWAC regular season titles (the women shared co-champions with Jackson State), the No. 16 seeded Jaguars teams will both face the top seeded Duke teams.
“I think that’s awesome,” Pugh said. “This year with the men we have shared regular season titles, cut the nets down together. We’re advancing. That’s a good one. I was hoping for Oklahoma, but I’ll take Duke. As long as we don’t get North Carolina.”
Pugh said she’d watch the two teams, Duke and N.C., face off earlier in the season and North Carolina defeated Duke (26-3) on each meeting 74-70 home, and 77-65 at N.C. In both losses, Duke entered with the nation’s number one ranking.
The Jaguars will travel to Norfolk, Va. to face the Blue Devils on Sunday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Tickets are available in the Ted Constant Convocation Center ticket office and can be purchased at the Constant Center box office or by calling 1-888-411-4TED. Tournament books, which include all three sessions, are $45 for adults for all games ($30 for youth 17 and under). Single session tickets are $20 for adults ($15 for youths 17 and under).
The No. 16 seeded Jaguars (20-10) met at Champps Americana restaurant Monday evening and watched the NCAA 64-team selection show on ESPN.
Community members, fans, children, and high ranking school officials, including chancellor Dr. Edward R. Jackson and Board of Supervisors chairman Johnny Anderson, met the Jags at the restaurant and watched the show anxiously awaiting their tournament seeding.
When Southern’s name appeared across the board for the pairings, the Jaguars burst out into cheers and celebrations.
“I know we can go up there and compete with this team if every body go out there with that mind set,” Southern senior guard Rolanda Monroe said. Monroe, a two-time SWAC player of the year is also Southern’s all-time leading scorer.
The men’s team met Sunday at TJ Ribs and found out the news of playing Duke in the same fashion. They also had the same reactions, a day before.
“It’s a wonderful occasion for Southern basketball and the community that we’re able to go to the tourney,” Pugh said.
This will be the Jaguars third tournament appearance in five years under Pugh’s helm. In 2004, Southern fell 92-57 to top seed Texas and in ’02 Colorado defeated Southern 88-61.
Duke, yet to claim a national title like their male counterparts, has been a No. 1 seed five times. The SWAC is traditionally known for being the lowest ranked conference among the NCAA. Since 1982, no team from the SWAC had made it past the first round action, with most of the losses in double-digit margins. In ’83 Jackson State fell just 64-61 to Middle Tennessee, that was the closest margin.
The Jaguars struggled in tournament action, taking three wins over the course of three days. Southern beat Grambling 84-76, Alabama A&M 58-55 (in overtime), and Alabama State 61-58.
Still, Southern stayed optimistic.
“There women just like us,” SWAC tournament MVP Fredrieka Lewis said. “We gotta go and play our game.”
Well Jaguars, shine your dancing shoes for a date with the Blue Devils in the Big Dance.
