Texas Southern Tigers Look to Defend SWAC Tournament Title

Rematch with Alabama A&M Bulldogs Promises Intensity After Regular Season Comeback

Mar. 12, 2026 at 5:08pm

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The fourth-seeded Texas Southern Tigers will face the fifth-seeded Alabama A&M Bulldogs in a SWAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup, a rematch of a regular season game that saw the Tigers erase a 16-point deficit to win 89-74. With the postseason on the line, both teams will be fighting for a chance to advance, though the Tigers may be hampered by injuries that have depleted their bench depth.

Why it matters

This game represents a chance for the Texas Southern Tigers to defend their SWAC Tournament title and continue their quest for a 12th program championship. However, they face a motivated Alabama A&M squad seeking revenge after the regular season loss, adding extra intensity to an already high-stakes matchup.

The details

In the regular season meeting, Texas Southern's reserves contributed 41 points to the comeback victory. But the Tigers' depth has been tested by injuries, with leading scorer and rebounder Troy Hupstead sidelined. Alabama A&M will look to its leading scorer Koron Davis, who has been on a hot streak lately, to disrupt the Tigers' rhythm and pull off the upset.

  • The SWAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup between Texas Southern and Alabama A&M will take place on Thursday.
  • In the regular season, Texas Southern defeated Alabama A&M 89-74 after erasing a 16-point deficit.

The players

Johnny Jones

The head coach of the Texas Southern Tigers, who led his team to a dramatic comeback victory over Alabama A&M in the regular season.

Otis Hughley Jr.

The head coach of the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, who previously served as an assistant coach at Texas Southern, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the matchup.

Troy Hupstead

The leading scorer and rebounder for the Texas Southern Tigers, who has been sidelined due to injury, potentially impacting the team's depth and performance.

Koron Davis

The leading scorer for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, who has been on a hot streak lately and will be a key player to watch in the rematch.

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What they’re saying

“Every game is separate, especially when you get to the postseason.”

— Johnny Jones, Head Coach, Texas Southern Tigers (Article written by David Hill, HBCU Legends intern from Texas Southern University)

“I know that was an emotional setting for him. It's not something that we talked about during the week, but we're excited for him.”

— Johnny Jones, Head Coach, Texas Southern Tigers (Article written by David Hill, HBCU Legends intern from Texas Southern University)

“The game did get tense with some tough plays. You've got two good teams, and when they play like that, it happens.”

— Johnny Jones, Head Coach, Texas Southern Tigers (Article written by David Hill, HBCU Legends intern from Texas Southern University)

“Our depth is shorter now than it was before. We don't have as deep of a bench, but we've been fighting through it.”

— Johnny Jones, Head Coach, Texas Southern Tigers (Article written by David Hill, HBCU Legends intern from Texas Southern University)

What’s next

The winner of the Texas Southern-Alabama A&M quarterfinal matchup will advance to the SWAC Tournament semifinals.

The takeaway

This SWAC Tournament quarterfinal between the Texas Southern Tigers and Alabama A&M Bulldogs promises to be a hard-fought, emotional rematch with high stakes. The Tigers will need to overcome their depleted bench and contain Alabama A&M's hot-shooting Koron Davis to defend their conference title, while the Bulldogs seek revenge for their regular season loss.