Amazing Grace

 
Southern point guard Jameel Grace’s career high scoring night going into last weekend’s action was a 15-point showing against Xavier-New Orleans in December 2010.
Grace exceeded that plateau in back-to-back games, and all of those points were needed in the Jaguars’ close road wins over archrivals Jackson State and Grambling State.
On Monday in Jackson, Miss., Grace scored six of the Jaguars’ eight overtime points to help Southern (13-11, 9-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) outlast JSU 49-44 at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. He led all scorers with 18 points, 11 of which came in the second half and overtime.
On Saturday in Grambling, La., Grace scored 19 of his career-high 24 points in the second half to help the Jaguars rally past Grambling State 57-53 at the Frederick Hodby Arena.
In other SWAC action Monday, conference leader Mississippi Valley State (12-11, 11-0) defeated Alabama A&M (5-15, 3-8) 78-64; Arkansas Pine-Bluff (5-19, 4-7) slipped past Alabama State (8-15, 5-6) 62-61; and Alcorn State (7-16, 4-7) escaped Grambling State (3-18, 3-8) with a 57-55 decision.
The Jaguars return to the F.G. Clark Activity Center Saturday to take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Tip-off is 4:30 p.m.
 
Southern 49, Jackson State 44 (OT)
JACKSON, Miss. — Grace hit the first basket of overtime, and Quinton Doggett’s layup gave the Jaguars a 45-41 lead.
Jonathan Lewis’ 3-pointer brought the Tigers (5-18, 3-8) within a point, but a jumper by Grace made it 47-44 with 48 seconds left. After Jackson State’s Kelsey Howard missed a 3-point try, two free throws by Grace provided the final margin.
Sydney Coleman’s layup for Jackson State with 5 seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime tied 41-41.
Doggett finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for Southern, which has won five in a row and defeated Jackson State 68-37 on Jan. 9.
Howard scored 16 for Jackson State, which shot 22.7 percent (15-of-66) for the game to Southern’s 37.8 percent (17-of-45).
 
Southern 57, Grambling 53
GRAMBLING, La. — The Jaguars shot 54.2 percent from the field (13-of-24) in the second half, after starting with a 21.7-percent performance (5-of-23) in the first.
Southern scored 18 of its 22 points in the paint in the second half.
Grambling State extended its 31-21 halftime lead to 33-23 less than 2 minutes into the first half. Southern then scored 13 unanswered to go up 36-33 on Fredrick Coleman’s dunk with 15:30 to play.
The Tigers would take their next lead, 52-51, with 3:51 remaining, before missing all four of their field goals and going 1-of-3 from the free-throw line the rest of the way.
Quincy Roberts led Grambling State with 27 points.