Special Night Tough Win

The F.G. Clark Activity Center was nearly packed this past Saturday, as they honored the 1977-78 men’s basketball team at halftime. The Jags were set to take on arch rival Grambling State University. The team was coming off a successful road trip, winning two of its three games. However, the game started off slow for the home team. They would eventually regroup and surpass GSU 58-50.
The first half started out sluggish for the Jaguars. They were held in check due to the loss of starting senior big man, Frank Snow; who will be out for three weeks with a broken hand. So, the team had to rebuild its chemistry within the starting lineup as it welcomed senior forward, Keith Davis. The team as a whole endured an abysmal 29 percent field goal percentage, going 15-of-52. Grambling took advantage of the poor shooting by capitalizing on shots of their own, ultimately giving them a 28-26 lead at the half.
During the half, Southern acknowledged the men’s Basketball team from the 1977-78 season for their record setting year. That team was run under the leadership of head coach Carl Stewart. The Jags finished the season with a 26-2 overall record and an 11-1 record in SWAC play. They averaged 94.7 points per game and had an average margin of victory of 13.5 points. Frankie Sanders, from Dayton Ohio, led the team in scoring and rebounding, while simultaneously averaging a double-double with 27.4 points and 10.5 rebounds. The 77-78 team produced seven NBA draft picks, the aforementioned Sanders along with former Southern coach Tommy Green and Gregory “Pop” Green; and 10 players who played professionally. They also made an appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs and hold the rights to scoring a season high 148 points that year.
While Southern honored the 1977-78 team at halftime, head coach Roman Banks lit a fire under his team during the intermission. GSU’s Mark Gray scored his team’s first five points to give them a 33-28 edge starting the second half. However, the Jags held the Tigers to one field goal for the next eight minutes. Then, Southern and Davis went to work. Davis made one of two free throws and followed that up with a tip-in, a dunk on a pretty pass from sophomore guard Trelun Banks, and a layup with an assist from junior guard Christopher Hyder. Davis finished with a game high 16 points and 8 rebounds.
After a tip-in by Grambling’s Lonnie McElwain ended the run, Southern started another run. Junior guard Adrian Rodgers ignited the run with a three pointer from deep, Banks added to the mix with a layup of his own, senior forward Joell Hopkins manufactured a point from the free throw line, and senior guard Tre Lynch forced a turnover with a steal and capitalized on it with a layup in transition. The team went on 17-7 run coming out of halftime, giving them a 43-35 edge. In the ensuing moments, Lynch hit a big three and Hyder converted on a layup as the lead grew. However, the Tigers would come roaring back, as they eventually cut the lead to four, 52-48. Banks converted on a three-point play and Southern converted on its free throws to put the tigers down, 58-50.
The Jags overcame Grambling, even though they endured a poor shooting night. “It’s safe to say we won a game tonight when we weren’t cooking on all cylinders, but the guys we rely on made individual plays when we needed them,” said head coach Roman Banks. Banks reached a milestone as well, picking up his 50th win in SWAC play. Southern will be set to take on Jackson State (7-16) Monday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center at 8:00 p.m., the game will be televised via Cox Sports.