HOUSTON - On February 29 the Delta Devils narrowly defeated the Grambling State Tigers by one point in Grambling, Louisiana, therefore the excitement today was palpable. Mississippi Valley entered confident and looking to go three-for-three against Grambling State for the season.
First possession went to the Tigers, but Latrell Love ensured the Delta Devils were the first to score. Marcus Romain and Love's next baskets were overturned; to make up for it Romain nailed a long three. On the next possession, Romain punched in both free throws.
With a hungry team, Mississippi Valley pressed the Tigers and started building their lead. It was only after the Delta Devils went up by 13-points that GSU called their first timeout.
Romain blazed through defenders, as if he was practicing drills, landing baskets from every angle. Down by 17, Grambling State landed a basket to slice a small piece from Mississippi Valley's lead.
The MVSU faithful were treated to an action packed afternoon. Their only issue was who to follow, Romain or Isaac Williams. Not to be left out, Kylan Phillips drained a three-pointer to jump on the board.
At halftime the Delta Devils held a commanding 36-27 lead. At this time, the starters were sitting and had only six fouls, placing them in perfect position to run away with the contest.
Exiting the locker-room, Romain drained a three from downtown at the shot clock buzzer. The Tigers began to stir, slowly working away at the deficit and adding pressure on Mississippi Valley. Williams decided to make them work harder by knocking down a three pointer to push MVSU back up by 14-points.
Love, in his last Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, could taste the sweet taste of victory as he continued to push himself and the team.
With less than a minute to play, simple errors allowed Grambling to score seven points. A brief timeout gave the Delta Devils time to regroup and get back to what worked in the opening half. MVSU near and far were on the edge of their seats, awaiting the final ticks of the clock.
As the band cheered, "BEEP BEEP BEEP YOU BETTER GO START THE BUS," it was evident that the Delta Devils would remain in Houston another day!
A Grambling foul with 13 seconds remaining in the contest sent John Sanders to the free throw line, pushing the final to 87-73.
Romain's hands were on fire as he landed a double double for the game, scoring 32-points, 11 rebounds and one assist. Love tallied 21-points, eight rebounds, one block and two assists, while Williams finished with 20-points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Mississippi Valley will face the Alcorn State Braves on March 9 at 2:30 pm.
