Jackson State women's basketball is back in the NCAA Tournament and has a powerful opponent in front of it.
The Tigers (26-6) earned the 14th seed and will play No. 3 UConn (29-5) today (noon, ABC).
An HBCU program has never won a round of 16 game. If Jackson State were to make history, it would be against a UConn program that has made 22 Final Four appearances and won 11 national championships.
Follow here for live updates from Saturday's March Madness game.
Jackson State vs UConn Live Score Updates in NCAA First Round
Final: UConn 86, Jackson State 64
Three Huskies scored at least 20 points. Boler led Jackson State with 25.
FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament standings, scores, schedules, teams and more.
UConn and Jackson State begin to empty the bench
The Huskies and Tigers are starting to empty their benches with UConn leading 86-59 with 2:30 left.
End of third quarter: UConn 72, Jackson State 50
Jackson State played its best quarter of the day but was still outscored by one. Ashlynn Shade scored 14 points in the quarter to lead the Huskies.
Intentional foul by Aaliya Edwards
As Edwards headed toward the basket, he elbowed Ti'Lan Boler in the face. Video review upgraded it to an intentional foul and Boler made 1 of 2 free throws.
Halftime: UConn 49, Jackson State 28
Ti'lan Boler beat the halftime buzzer with a three-pointer from the corner. Paige Bueckers leads all scorers with 19 points. Boler leads Jackson State with 13 and no other Tiger has scored more than four points.
UConn in charge of the paint
The Huskies are outscoring Jackson State 20-2 in the paint. UConn leads Jackson Sate 32-16 with 4:32 left in the second quarter.
End of first quarter: UConn 22, Jackson State 8
Jackson State has twice as many turnovers (six) as field goals (three). Paige Bueckers leads all scorers with eight points.
Jackson State in scoring drought
Jackson State has not scored in the last 5 minutes and 20 seconds when leading 4-2. It's a 16-0 scoring run at UConn with the Tigers committing five turnovers and going 2 of 10 from the field.
Paige Bueckers does it early
The UConn star was 3-of-3 from the field for eight of UConn's 12 points. The Huskies lead 12-4 with 5:56 left in the first quarter as Jackson State uses its first timeout.
What channel is Jackson State vs UConn on today? how to watch
- Time: Midday CT
- Television channel: ABC
Jackson State vs UConn Preview
Jackson State: The Tigers went undefeated in SWAC play, with their last loss coming on December 27 at Texas. Senior guard Andriana Avent leads Jackson State with 12.3 points per game, and Ti'lan Boler and Miya Crump also score in double figures.
University of Connecticut: The Huskies remain a powerhouse in women's college basketball, despite not winning a national championship since 2016. They went undefeated in Big East play and have only lost once on their home court this season. After missing last season due to a torn ACL, Paige Bueckers is averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game.
Jackson State vs UConn Odds, Betting Line & Spread
Probabilities according to BetMGM
- Spread: University of Connecticut -35.5
- Below: 135.5
- Money line: N/A
Jackson State vs UConn Prediction, Game Picks
Jackson State 73, UConn 69: Jackson State breaks the brackets with a historic first-round upset over UConn on its own court. This is the reason why.
Jackson State vs UConn Team Injury Updates
Jackson State: Center Daphane White has not played since January due to an injury.
University of Connecticut: Aaliyah Edwards is expected to play after breaking his nose in the Big East tournament, according to the Stamford Advocate. Azzi Fudd, Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy and Amari DeBerry will not be available.
Jackson State vs UConn Stats
JACKSON STATE
- PPG: 71.6
- Allowed PPG: 56.6
- GF%: 40.1
- 3PT%: 28.7
UCONN
- PPG: 80.8
- Allowed PPG: 56.3
- GF%: 50.0
- 3PT%: 36.3
Jackson State Women's Basketball 2023-24 Schedule
Below are the final five games of Jackson State's 2023-24 season. For the complete calendar, Click here.
Thursday March 7: Jackson State 82, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67
Saturday March 9: Jackson State 77, Mississippi Valley State 59
Wednesday March 13th: Jackson State 67, A&M Prairie View 58
Friday March 15: Jackson State 70, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 48
Saturday March 16: Jackson State 68, Alcorn State 44
2023-24 UConn Women's Basketball Schedule
Below are the final five games of UConn's 2023-24 season. For the complete calendar, Click here.
Wednesday, February 28: University of Connecticut 67, Villanova 46
Saturday March 2: University of Connecticut 65, Providence 42
Saturday March 9: University of Connecticut 86, Providence 53
Sunday March 10: University of Connecticut 58, Marquette 29
Monday, March 11th: University of Connecticut 78, Georgetown 42
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss Beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.