For the second year in a row, Alcorn State finished the regular season atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings.

Byron Joshua went 9-for-12 from the field and scored a game-high 23 points to lead Alcorn State to a 63-58 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the regular-season finale on Saturday.

Joshua scored 14 of Alcorn’s last 18 points. He had 10 in a row at one point, including a pair of 3-pointers, during a run that gave the Braves the lead for good with less than seven minutes to go.

Although nine Alcorn players scored, Dekedran Thorn was the only other one to finish in double figures, with 10 points.

Shaun Doss Jr. and Kylen Milton led Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 15 points apiece. Robert Lewis had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Alcorn (18-12, 15-3) finished tied for first place in the SWAC with Grambling (22-8, 15-3), but earned the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament by virtue of its head-to-head victory over the Tigers in January.

Alcorn will open the tournament against Texas Southern on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. in Birmingham, Alabama.

SWAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
March 8
Grambling vs. Bethune-Cookman, 2 p.m.
Alcorn State vs. Texas Southern, 8:30 p.m.
March 9
Jackson State vs. Prairie View A&M, 2 p.m.
Southern U. vs. Alabama A&M, 8:30 p.m.
March 10
Alcorn-Texas Southern winner vs. Southern-Alabama A&M winner, 2 p.m.
Grambling-Bethune Cookman winner vs. JSU-Prairie View winner, 8:30 p.m.
March 11
Championship game, 4:30 p.m.