HOUSTON – No. 14 Jackson State was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, suffering an 86-64 defeat at the hands of the No. 3 UConn Huskies. Coach Tomekia Reed’s team came out with a 4-2 lead, but UConn responded with a 17-0 run.
Geno Auriemma said about Jackson State, “I’m really impressed by them, and they are exceptionally well coached.”
Coach Geno Auriemma’s comments on Coach Reed and JSU. @HBCULegends @GoJSUTigersWBB pic.twitter.com/DokLl7rTlH
— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) March 23, 2024
The Huskies extended its first-half lead 49-28 with excellent ball movement and shot selection by Aaliyah Edwards, Ashlynn Shade, and Paige Bueckers.
Senior guard Ti’lan Boler led the Tigers in scoring with 25 points and three rebounds. In their final game at Jackson State, Angel Jackson scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds, while Miya Crump and Keshuna Luckett each contributed six points in the losing effort.
“They certainly don’t get on TV enough, and they certainly don’t get enough recognition, and I wanted to let her know that and I wanted to put myself out there for her. I think we need coaches like her to be celebrated.”— Coach Geno Auriemma
The Tigers struggled to find their rhythm, scoring 32.8% from the floor due to UConn’s strong defense. In the afternoon, the Huskies shot 50% and 37.5% from beyond the arc. They also outrebounded Jackson State 46 to 38.
UConn will face the winner of No. 6 Syracuse and No. 11 Arizona.
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