ITTA BENA - The Devilettes return home this Saturday afternoon to host two sets of Lady Tigers, beginning with in-state rivial, Jackson State, at the R.W. Harrison Complex.
 
The Devilettes enter the game after a two-game road trip in Texas, which ended in a very close matchup against Prairie View (73-78) in favor of the Lady Panthers.
 
Jackson State entering the contest riding a two-game winning streak, which started with a tight home win (70-61) against Prairie View on January 15^th and an 82-70 victory over Grambling State University 82-70.
 
Coming off a very impressive season high of 32 points against Prairie View, LaKendra Bassett, in addition to a consistent performance from Kristy Parker and Makayla Bonner are essential keys to the Devilettes recording a win over Jackson State.
 
Parker and Bassett are ranked 6th and 7th respectively in scoring in the SWAC, and MVSU will depend upon them to have an active night to generate offense and energy for the rest of the Devilettes.
 
However, the most important key for the Devilettes is staying consistent on both ends of the floor throughout all four quarters. The Devilettes must come ready to compete from tip-off until the clock hits 0:00.
 
Just as we've done our homework on key players for the Lady Tigers, they've done theirs and will be tasked with stopping the scoring duo, Parker and Bassett. As a result, the guards must get Bonner active early and the Devilettes must protect the ball effectively as Lady Tiger, Christina Ellis, will be prying at them for an opportunity to pick their pockets.
 
Defensively, the Devilettes will have to play smart and remain out of foul trouble to prevent Jackson State,a pretty decent free throw shooting team, from going to the charity stripe.
 
The tenacious Kenya Arnold and gang must watch lock Derica Wiggins, Jackson State's leading scorer, off balance and limit her time with the ball.
 
The game will undoubtedly be very intense on the court and within the arena, because of the passion surrounding the rivalry. You don't want to miss this matchup! Tip-off is set for Saturday at 2 p.m.

Let's take a closer look at the opponent from a statistical stance…
 
About the Lady Tigers:

• JSU is ranked amongst the top 2 in the SWAC trailing Southern and is currently on a two-game winning streak (vs Prairie View and Grambling)
• JSU leads the SWAC in scoring, scoring margin, 3-pt FG percentage defense, rebounding offense, rebounding margin, assist, turnover margin, and steals.
• Lady Tigers only have one player ranked among the top 10 in scoring, in Derica Wiggins (8th) with an average of 14 points per game
• Christina Ellis is ranked 4th in the SWAC in steals