Mississippi Valley State Men's Basketball (3-14, 1-2) at Alcorn State (4-12, 0-4); Southern (1-15, 0-4)
Date(s): Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019; Monday, Jan. 21, 2019
Time(s): 5:30 p.m. (CT); 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Facility (s): Davey L. Whitney Complex (Lorman, MS); F.G. Fields Activity Center (Baton Rouge, LA)

PROBABLE STARTERS: G Jordan Evans (6-2, Sr., 11.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg); G Michael Green (6-3, Jr.., 6.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg); G Gregory Jones-Rollins (5-7, So., 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg); G Torico Simmons (5-8, Jr., 4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg); C Emmanuel Ejeh (6-8, Sr., 5.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg).

AGGIES OVERVIEW: Mississippi Valley State heads into this weekend's action with a 1-2 conference record. The Delta Devils are on the road for a pair of SWAC games taking on Alcorn State on Saturday, Jan. 19 and then Southern on Monday, Jan. 21. MVSU picked up a 72-63, home win over Alabama A&M on Saturday, Jan. 12 led by Jordan Evans 17 points. Evans hit 3-of-6 three-pointers and 4-of-7 free-throws, Gregory Jones-Rollins made 4-of-6 three-pointers finishing with 16 points and Michael Green added 11 points making 3-of-4 three-point field goals. In their next game, the Delta Devils hosted Alabama State on Monday, Jan. 14 and dropped a heart breaker in overtime to the Hornets, 81-79. MVSU's opened the conference season on the road falling to Arkansas at Pine Bluff 64-52, on Saturday, Jan. 5. Head coach Andre Payne returns seven players from last season and has added eight new players. MVSU leads the conference in turnovers per game (13.1), rank second in offensive rebounds per game (11.59) and are third in assist-turnover ratio (0.83), free-throw percentage (67.5) and total rebounds (604). Dante Scott leads MVSU in scoring (12.6 ppg), not far behind is Jones-Rollins at 12.5 ppg and Jordan Evans is their third player averaging double-digit scoring at 11.9 ppg. Emmanuel Ejeh leads MVSU in both rebounds (6.8) and blocks (0.5) while Tereke Eckwood averages a team-high 2.1 assists per game.
 

ALCORN STATE OVERVIEW: Alcorn State is on a six-game losing streak with their last win dating back to Dec. 9 against Fisk, 75-45. The Braves are without a win in SWAC play after hosting Texas Southern (87-70) and Prairie View A&M (57-54) and then road defeats at both Jackson State (59-52) and Grambling (77-42). The Braves return seven players from last season's team under head coach Montez Robinson. Alcorn leads the conference in steals per game (8.9) an in total steals (143). Maurice Howard leads the SWAC in three-point field goal attempts (132), three-point field goals per game (3.19) and total three-point field goals made (51). Troymain Crosby in one of 19 players in NCAA Division I to record a triple-double this season and Deshaw Andrews leads the conference in total steals (29).

SOUTHERN OVERVIEW: Southern enters the weekend on a 10-game losing streak with their only win of the season coming against Wiley (74-65) on Nov. 27. The Jaguars dropped their SWAC opener to Prairie View (82-73) and then took on Texas Southern (77-67). Their next two games were on the road at Grambling (69-63) and at Jackson State (64-58). Former MVSU head coach Sean Woods is in his first season at Southern. The Jaguars lead the SWAC in free-throw percentage (68.2) and are second in field-goal percentage (43.3). Individually, Richard Lee ranks third in the conference in three-point field goal attempts (104) and fifth in three-point field goals per game (2.41). Sidney Umude ranks third in offensive rebounds (2.18) and Jayden Saddler is seventh in steals per game (1.54). The Jaguars will enter the contest against the Delta Devils after playing host to Arkansas Pine Bluff (6-10, 3-0) on Jan. 19.

LAST TIME OUT: MVSU recorded a season-high 13 made three-pointers shooting 50 percent (13-26) from the field in an overtime loss to Alabama State on Monday. Michael Green and Gregory Jones-Rollins each scored 18 for the Delta Devils while Torico Simmons and LaCurtis Allen both poured in 11 points apiece. Allen grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while Simmons had a game-high six assists.

UP NEXT: The Delta Devils return home for a pair of home games against the Panthers of Prairie View A&M on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the Tigers of Texas Southern on Monday, Jan. 28 in the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex.
 
NEWS & NOTES
• Gregory Jones-Rollins leads MVSU in scoring through three SWAC games averaging 15.3 ppg. He has scored in double figures in all conference games and is shooting 46% from beyond the arc with a team-high six made three-point field goals.
• Jordan Evans (10.0 ppg) is also averaging double-figure scoring in conference play and leads MVSU at the free-throw line converting 70% of his attempts (12-17).
• Michael Green has scored in double figures in the last two games registering 11 points against AAMU and 18 points against ASU.
• In their last game vs. ASU, MVSU made a season-best 13 three-pointers shooting 50% (13-26). LaCurtis Allen had nine rebounds while Torico Simmons dished out six assists, both were season-highs.