LORMAN — Ernest T. Jones had been a part of many comebacks at Jack Spinks Stadium as a player for Alcorn State.

On Saturday, in his debut as the Braves’ new head coach, he was nearly part of another one. Tim Buckley’s fourth down pass with 8 seconds left to tight end Channin Pugh was too high and Southeastern Louisiana held on for a 34-28 victory.

Two touchdowns in a 17-second span in the first minute of the fourth quarter had put the Braves in a 34-21 hole. Jones, though, felt his team would come back.

“My guys will fight. And they will fight to the end. Absolutely, I thought we’d have a chance. I played with the Miracle Man in Steve McNair and we came back all the time. I thought we’d do it again, but that last pass overshot the tight end,” Jones said. “This is the first time I’ve lost a game here.”

Down 13 points, Buckley led the Braves’ comeback. He hit Antonio DeJarnette with an 8-yard TD pass with 4:13 left to pull the Braves within a touchdown, at 34-28.

The Braves got the ball back with 2:09 left at their own 36. Buckley scrambled for 26 yards, and a late hit moved the ball to the SLU 30-yard line. Buckley then completed two more passes and ran again to set up a third-and-2 at the 8. The Braves tried a quick dive but it was stopped, setting up a fourth down play with 16 seconds remaining.

“We tried a little zone play and didn’t work and it changed up what we wanted to do. We were hoping to get the first down, kill it, and then have three chances at the score,” Jones said.

Instead, they had one play, and Buckley’s pass went over his tight end’s outstretched hands.

“I didn’t square my shoulders up enough,” Buckley said.

Southeastern Louisiana backup quarterback Mike Neville hit Andre Cryer on a 48-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to snap a 21-21 tie.

On Alcorn’s next play from scrimmage, Davaris Pilcher fumbled and Southeastern’s Tommy Connors scooped it up at the 14 and rolled into the endzone. Jeff Turner’s kick made it 34-21 with 14:37 left.

A wild first half was capped when Southeastern quarterback Brian Babin was knocked out by a hit by Alcorn safety Idly Etienne.

“He was knocked unconscious, but I have faith in all three of my quarterbacks,” SLU coach Mike Lucas said.

Both teams scored three touchdowns in the first half. Alcorn scored first on a 21-yard run by Buckley. Babin hit on a 65-yard TD pass just two minutes later to tie it. Pilcher put the Braves back in front on a 37-yard TD run less than a minute after Southeastern’s score.

The Lions tied it at 14 on a 15-yard Babin TD pass and then took the lead with four minutes left in the second quarter when Babin hit Chris Wilson for a 35-yard score.

The Braves rebounded with Buckley finding Emmanuel Arceneaux on a 55-yard TD pass. Arceneaux caught the pass at the 35, spun and raced to the endzone. Taylor Armstrong’s kick tied it at 21 with 37 seconds left in the half.