lost and found

It was a lost weekend for the state’s Big 3 — and Jackson State, as well. But never mind them. Alcorn State and Jones County Junior College found their way into the history books. Alcorn beat Southern University 12-6 today to win the SWAC Tournament title, its first ever, and qualify for the NCAAs, also a first for the program. Barret Rey’s Braves went 4-0 in the event and outscored their opposition 51-16. Jones pulled off a pair of dramatic wins over second-ranked LSU-Eunice on Saturday to claim the NJCAA Division II Region 23 title and make the juco World Series for the first time in school history. The 12th-ranked Bobcats also won the state championship last week for the first time in nine years, a tough double dip by Christian Ostrander’s Bobcats. Elsewhere, the news was not so good: Ole Miss squandered a chance to make the SEC Tournament; Mississippi State failed on a shot at winning the SEC West (but did get back into the SEC tourney); Southern Miss, hurt by sloppy defense, let an outright C-USA title slip through its grasp, having to settle for a share with Rice; and JSU coughed up a big lead with a chance to make the SWAC final and play old rival Alcorn for the crown.