TSU's rough ride pays off with men's basketball SWAC title

HOUSTON, Texas  --  The grueling basketball schedule Texas Southern Coach Mike Davis put together for the 2014-15 season paid off.

Some questioned Davis' strategy, and his sanity, prior to the season. The Tigers' non-conference schedule included losses to big-name programs Gonzaga, Baylor, Indiana, Tennessee, SMU, Florida and Auburn. All on the road. The Tigers won at Michigan State and Kansas State.

But what the early-season defeats did was prepare the Tigers for the rigors of SWAC games.

And on Thursday at the H&PE Arena, the Tigers clinched the SWAC title outright with a 94-73 going-away win over Alcorn State for their seventh straight win.

"That's our goal and that's our measuring stick every year is try to be the conference champs or win the conference tournament," Davis said.

The Tigers (18-12, 15-2) received stellar play from senior guards Madarious Gibbs and Deverell Biggs, who both scored 21 points, junior guard David Blanks (15 points) and junior forward Malcolm Riley (15 points, 10 rebounds).

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