Men's basketball advance to the 2026 Southern Athletic Association Tournament Championship on Friday evening, defeating Southwestern (Texas) 83–70 in the SAA Semifinals at The Cage Center.
The Lynx (22-4, 12-2 SAA) delivered a composed, wire-to-wire performance to punch their ticket to the conference title game, using balanced scoring, strong rebounding, and timely shooting to keep the Pirates at arm's length throughout the contest.
Rhodes wasted little time setting the tone. The Lynx opened the game on an early run behind the hot hand of senior guard Phil Dotson, who scored Rhodes' first nine points and helped build early momentum. Rhodes' defensive pressure and work on the glass limited Southwestern's second-chance opportunities and fueled transition offense as the Lynx built a double-digit lead midway through the first half.
The Lynx carried a 35–21 advantage into the break after holding Southwestern scoreless from beyond the arc in the opening period. Rhodes' physical presence inside and efficient shot selection proved to be the difference early.
Southwestern showed life in the second half, increasing its offensive pace and shooting over 42 percent after halftime, but Rhodes consistently answered each push. Key baskets from Shawn Jones Jr. and Jackson Huxtable, along with clutch free throws down the stretch, helped the Lynx maintain control and close out the semifinal victory.
Dotson finished with a game-high 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including five three-pointers, while going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. His perimeter shooting and ability to create offense in key moments kept the Rhodes attack humming.
Jones Jr. provided a strong all-around performance with 20 points and a team-high nine rebounds, repeatedly impacting the game on both ends of the floor. Huxtable added 15 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double, while Jack Dempsey anchored the interior with a game-best 10 boards and eight points.
As a team, Rhodes controlled the glass with a 51–43 rebounding advantage and converted defensive stops into offense, scoring 18 points off turnovers. The Lynx also matched Southwestern with 16 fast-break points and held the Pirates to 38.8 percent shooting from the field.
Southwestern (13-14, 6-8 SAA) was led by Aedan Lewis with 23 points and Shobby Enakpene with 22, but the Pirates were unable to overcome Rhodes' early surge and balanced offensive execution.
With the semifinal win, Rhodes advances to the SAA Tournament Championship game, where the Lynx will face the winner of Trinity vs. Centre on Saturday at 6 p.m. The championship matchup will determine the conference title and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
