The Southern University girls basketball program has officially moved past the feel-good story phase. The Lady Jaguars of Baton Rouge, Louisiana are now a proven powerhouse, and their 2025–26 season has made that clearer than ever. With back-to-back SWAC Tournament championships, a third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, and a non-conference schedule that would make bigger programs flinch, Southern University is no longer just representing HBCU basketball — they are redefining what it can look like.
Want to follow the Lady Jaguars’ run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament? Save this page and share it with every college basketball fan you know — this team is must-watch basketball.
A Non-Conference Schedule Built for Champions
Before conference play even began, head coach Carlos Funchess sent a clear message to the rest of women’s college basketball. Southern’s 2025–26 non-conference schedule featured nine Power Four opponents, with four of those teams ranked inside the top 25 at the time they faced the Lady Jaguars. The season opened with seven true road games, including matchups against Iowa, Iowa State, Ole Miss, UCLA, Washington, Baylor, and SMU.
Most mid-major programs avoid that kind of punishment. Southern embraced it. “It’s always tough,” Funchess said. “But you’re going to see every style of basketball possible before you get into your conference.” That philosophy has become the foundation of the entire program.
The investment paid off in December. Southern traveled to Tucson and handed Arizona — who entered the game unbeaten — a 63–57 loss at McKale Center in front of more than 5,000 fans. Demya Porter led the team with 16 points on efficient shooting, and the Lady Jaguars never trailed for a single second. Four days later, they went on the road to Houston and won again, 70–62, with Southern scoring 70 points while shooting over 46 percent from three-point range. Back-to-back wins over Power Four programs in the same week was something the program had never done in seven seasons under Funchess. Until now.
SWAC Champions — Again
When SWAC play began in January, Southern carried all of that non-conference confidence into the conference grind. They finished the regular season at 12–6 in SWAC play and entered the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed — a bracket position that required them to beat the top seed just to reach the final.
In the semifinals, they did exactly that. With one second remaining against No. 1 seed Alabama A&M, guard Jocelyn Tate converted a layup to deliver a stunning 51–49 victory. The finish sent Southern through to the championship game and announced that this team was not done making memories.
In the title game against Alabama State, Southern came out and erased all suspense early. The Lady Jaguars built a 41–19 halftime lead behind a dominant rebounding performance and efficient shooting throughout the first half. Alabama State battled back after the break and trimmed the deficit, but Southern held firm and closed it out 73–56, finishing the championship game shooting 49 percent from the field and an impressive 53.8 percent from three-point range.
“I told them before the game, the team that controlled the rebounding edge was going to win,” Funchess said after the final buzzer. “We did that in the first half, built a big lead, and I knew they were going to make a run — and they did.”
It was the program’s second consecutive SWAC Tournament championship and their third NCAA Tournament bid in the last four years.
The NCAA Tournament Picture
Following Selection Sunday, Southern received a 16-seed placement and will face Samford in a First Four play-in game in Columbia, South Carolina. The winner advances to face the overall No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks on their home floor — one of the most intimidating environments in women’s college basketball.
Last season, Southern made history by winning the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament game, defeating UC San Diego in the opening round. This year, the bracket presents an even steeper mountain to climb. But Tate captured the mindset of the entire roster perfectly after the SWAC championship. “Knowing we can go back and try to make more history, maybe even knock off a number one seed, that’s the goal,” she said. “We’re not done; we’re just getting started.”
The Culture Behind the Wins
Southern University finished the 2025–26 regular season with an overall record of 19–13. Numbers like that do not tell the full story of what this program has built. The Lady Jaguars have consistently ranked in the top five of the SWAC in both scoring offense and scoring defense, and their ability to perform in pressure moments — tight road games, buzzer-beaters, championship environments — speaks to a program culture that goes deeper than talent alone.
Porter, a key contributor all season, brought her physical, efficient style of play to every game. Tate provided the steadiness and clutch execution that championship-caliber teams require in the final minutes when everything is on the line. Role players bought into a system where the collective matters more than individual statistics.
Funchess has made the culture explicit from day one. “Our young ladies come to Southern to get an education first,” he said. “But they also come here to win championships. They sacrifice a lot and work extremely hard for moments like this.” That balance between academics and athletics is not just a tagline at Southern — it is the operating principle of everything the program does.
Why This Matters Beyond Baton Rouge
HBCU women’s basketball has not always received the national attention it deserves. Southern University’s sustained excellence is changing that conversation. Three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years from a SWAC program is a run that cannot be dismissed as a fluke. The Lady Jaguars have beaten Power Four teams on the road, won championship games in dramatic fashion, and earned the right to stand alongside any mid-major program in the country.
Every game they play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament carries that weight. A win over Samford in the First Four would set up a matchup against South Carolina — and regardless of how that game ends, the visibility alone matters for every HBCU women’s basketball program that comes after Southern.
This team has proven that the standard is real. And they have absolutely no intention of lowering it.
The Lady Jaguars are writing a chapter in women’s basketball history that no one can ignore — drop your thoughts in the comments below and keep coming back as Southern University chases the impossible in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.