Johnson-Danner leads TSU men past Jackson State

A balanced group of scorers has been the key to Texas Southern’s strong start in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

That group came up big again in Saturday’s ESPN2-televised showdown against Jackson State.

TSU got double-digit scoring from four players and clamped down on defense in the final two minutes to escape with a 66-62 victory before a crowd of 1,132 at the H&PE Arena. TSU (6-9, 4-0) won its fourth straight game and moved into sole possession of first place in the SWAC.

TSU Tigers Stay Perfect at 4-0

The Texas Southern Tigers stay perfect in conference play after beating their toughest SWAC opponent so far this season before a national TV audience on ESPN2. TSU defeated Jackson State 66-62 to become the only unbeaten team in the conference.

The Tigers took the lead from the tip off and played strong for the first six minutes of the game. TSU held a 13-2 advantage with 14:42 on the clock. Jackson State put together a 10-0 run to get within one point of Texas Southern’s lead (13-12). TSU got back into their rhythm and worked their way to a 12 point lead with 56 seconds left in the first half. The TSU Tigers ended the period up 31-21.

TSU gave up some ground in the second half but kept an 8 point advantage with 9 minutes on the clock. Jackson State made another run and TSU fought back to stay up 57-49. J-State came back again and tied the game 58-58 with just over 3 minutes left to play. TSU fell behind briefly but regain the lead on a layup and follow-up free-throw by Daniel King at the 1:28 minute mark (63-61). The TSU Tigers never trailed again and picked up a 4 point win.

Four TSU Tigers scored in double figures. Lawrence Johnson-Danner led the way with 15 points and four steals. Kevin Galloway had 14 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks. Harrison Smith had 13 points while Travelle Jones had 12. King finished the night with 9 points and six rebounds.

Texas Southern will host Grambling State on Monday at 8:00 pm in the H&PE Arena.

Author: Rodney Bush, Texas Southern University Sports Information Director