Bethune-Cookman University’s men’s basketball team is set to host Jackson State and Alcorn State in two key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) matchups at Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach. The Wildcats, who have a 7-11 overall record and are 4-1 in conference play, return home after winning two consecutive road games.
The first matchup will take place on Saturday, January 24, at 4 p.m. EST against Jackson State. The Tigers hold a 5-13 overall record but share the same conference record as Bethune-Cookman at 4-1. Jackson State recently secured two home victories over Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern. Their only SWAC loss this season was on the road at Alabama A&M.
Jackson State’s senior guard Daeshun Ruffin leads the team with an average of 21.6 points per game, ranking him 14th nationally. He also leads the Tigers in assists (96) and steals (25). Despite these individual performances, Jackson State ranks last in the SWAC for field goal percentage and points allowed per game but leads in three-pointers made per game (8.2) and free-throw percentage (.767).
Bethune-Cookman will then face Alcorn State on Monday, January 26, at 7 p.m. ET. The Braves enter the contest with a 3-14 overall record and are 2-3 in SWAC play. Their most recent games were both decided by one point: a loss to Texas Southern and a win over Prairie View.
Alcorn State’s top scorer is junior guard Shane Lancaster, who averages 11.6 points per game while shooting over 51% from both the field and three-point range. Lancaster is currently the only Braves player averaging double figures this season. Alcorn has struggled statistically across most categories but has excelled in three-point shooting, making about 35% of their attempts.
In their last outing, Bethune-Cookman overcame Arkansas Pine-Bluff in overtime with an 87-82 victory. The Wildcats started strong with a seven-point run but trailed by five at halftime after Pine-Bluff capitalized on turnovers and hot shooting from beyond the arc. In the second half, Bethune-Cookman staged a comeback with a decisive defensive stretch that allowed them to regain the lead before ultimately sealing the win in overtime behind clutch shooting from Seneca Willoughby.
Historically, Jackson State leads its series against Bethune-Cookman with seven wins to two and has won each of their last four meetings since 2023. Against Alcorn State, Bethune-Cookman trails the all-time series three wins to seven but won their previous matchup last season.
Both upcoming games will be available for viewing via Watch ESPN (Jackson State) and SWAC TV (Alcorn State), with radio coverage provided by CatEye Network Radio.
