SP
BravenNow
Southern defeats Grambling 87-73
| USA | sports | ✓ Verified - abcnews.com

Southern defeats Grambling 87-73

#Southern Jaguars #Grambling Tigers #AJ Barnes #Southwestern Athletic Conference #College Basketball #Baton Rouge #February 2026

📌 Key Takeaways

  • AJ Barnes scored 22 points with 4 steals to lead Southern to victory
  • Southern improved to 13-14 overall and 9-5 in conference play
  • Antonio Munoz led Grambling with 19 points and 4 assists
  • The game was part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season

📖 Full Retelling

AJ Barnes led the Southern Jaguars to an 87-73 victory over the Grambling Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on February 21, 2026, as part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season play. Barnes contributed 22 points and four steals to lead the Southern squad, which improved to 13-14 overall and 9-5 in conference play. The Jaguars received strong support from Damariee Jones, who scored 15 points on efficient shooting, making 6 of 8 field goals and 3 of 3 free throws. Terrance Dixon Jr. also made an impact, shooting 4 of 5 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line to finish with 12 points. For the Tigers (11-15 overall, 5-8 in conference), Antonio Munoz was the top performer with 19 points and four assists. Jamil Muttilib added 17 points, while Jimel Lane contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds. Despite the loss, Grambling showed competitive play throughout the contest, keeping the game within reach until Southern pulled away in the later stages.

🏷️ Themes

College Basketball, Sports Competition, Athletic Performance

📚 Related People & Topics

Southwestern Athletic Conference

Southwestern Athletic Conference

Collegiate athletic conference made up of historically black colleges and universities

The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for most sports; in football, it part...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
College basketball

College basketball

Amateur basketball played by students of higher education institutions

College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athletic bodies, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercolle...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Southern Jaguars and Lady Jaguars

Southern Jaguars and Lady Jaguars

Athletic teams representing Southern University

The Southern Jaguars and Lady Jaguars represent Southern University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Southern University's 13 athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football Championship Subdiv...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
Grambling State Tigers

Grambling State Tigers

Collegiate sports club in the United States

The Grambling State Tigers and Lady Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I (I-FCS for football) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗
A. J. Barnes

A. J. Barnes

American politician

Alfred James Barnes was the first person to represent the 12th district of the Los Angeles City Council under the new charter in 1925. He served until 1927. Barnes, a contractor and real-estate man who had lived in Los Angeles since 1904, was elected to the City Council in 1925, but failed in a re-e...

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

Entity Intersection Graph

Connections for Southwestern Athletic Conference:

🌐 Basketball 1 shared
🌐 Daytona Beach, Florida 1 shared
View full profile

Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

Southern's victory over Grambling represents a significant conference win that improves their standing in the SWAC tournament race. The rivalry between these two historically black universities makes this matchup particularly meaningful for both schools and their communities.

Context & Background

  • Southern vs Grambling is a historic rivalry in HBCU basketball
  • Both teams competing for SWAC tournament positioning
  • AJ Barnes' 22-point performance led Southern to victory

What Happens Next

Southern will look to build on this momentum as they approach the SWAC tournament. Grambling will need to regroup and improve their conference record to secure better tournament seeding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score?

Southern defeated Grambling 87-73

Who was the leading scorer?

AJ Barnes led Southern with 22 points

What are both teams' records?

Southern improved to 13-14 (9-5 SWAC), Grambling fell to 11-15 (5-8 SWAC)

Original Source
Southern defeats Grambling 87-73 Led by AJ Barnes' 22 points, the Southern Jaguars defeated the Grambling Tigers 87-73 By The Associated Press February 21, 2026, 8:36 PM BATON ROUGE, La. -- AJ Barnes had 22 points in Southern's 87-73 win over Grambling on Saturday. Barnes also had four steals for the Jaguars (13-14, 9-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Damariee Jones scored 15 points while shooting 6 of 8 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line. Terrance Dixon Jr. shot 4 of 5 from the field and 4 for 5 from the line to finish with 12 points. Antonio Munoz led the way for the Tigers (11-15, 5-8) with 19 points and four assists. Grambling got 17 points from Jamil Muttilib. Jimel Lane had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Popular Reads Nancy Guthrie live updates: More than 1 suspect not ruled out, sheriff's office says 4 hours ago Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released after arrest on suspicion of misconduct Feb 19, 4:23 PM Nancy Guthrie case: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues Feb 10, 11:15 PM ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . Sponsored Content by Taboola Popular Reads Nancy Guthrie live updates: More than 1 suspect not ruled out, sheriff's office says 4 hours ago Nancy Guthrie case: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues Feb 10, 11:15 PM Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released after arrest on suspicion of misconduct Feb 19, 4:23 PM Trump says he has signed order for new 15% tariff after Supreme Court ruling Feb 21, 4:34 PM ABC News Live 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
Read full article at source

Source

abcnews.com

More from USA

News from Other Countries

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇺🇦 Ukraine