ALEXANDER'S 27 LEADS SOUTHERN PAST TEXAS SOUTHERN, 89-64 :: Seniors go out in style, as SWAC Champions

	President/Chancellor, Dr. Edward Jackson, and headcoach, Rob Spivery, share Senior Day with the five Jag players: Chris Alexander, Brandon Wardlow, Alvin Mott, Jerrid Campbell and Peter Cipriano.

March 5, 2006

Chris Alexander scored 27 points to lead Southern to a 89-64 thrashing of Texas Southern on "Senior Day", at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

All five seniors scored as the Jaguars (16-12, 15-3 SWAC) notched its largest margin of victory this season.

Center Jerrid Campbell added 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Forward Peter Cipriano had 11 points and nine rebounds. Forward Alvin Mott had seven of his 10 points and eight rebounds, and guard Brandon Wardlow scored nine points and tied a career high with five assists.

Meanwhile, no player from TSU (8-22, 6-12 SWAC) reached double figures in scoring, with the Jaguars holding the Tigers to 29.9-percent shooting and a mere seven assists and outrebounding them by 25, 59-34.

The victory secured Southern's first winning season since 1999-2000 and gave the program its most conference wins in a single season in school history.

Southern's first regular-season conference title since 1989-90 also guarantees the school its first postseason berth since 1993, when the Jaguars upset Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

"This was the way I wanted to go out, as a champion," Cipriano said.

"I came in here (five years ago) and we were losing in my first three years. We'll always be remembered as the first SWAC champions in 16 years."

SU is guaranteed at least a spot in the National Invitation Tournament, which the Jaguars last went to in 1990.

"We can't celebrate too much," Spivery said. "I want to make sure we bring the other one home next Saturday."

The Jaguars play Alcorn State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals of the SWAC Tournament, at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Ala.