Â
ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State University men's basketball program found themselves draining a season-high 20 free throws in 25 tries (80%) and got a quality contribution from
Lamont Sams despite a losing effort as Alabama State came away with an 89-69 triumph.
Â
The Basics:Â
Â
- Score
- Alabama State – 89
- Mississippi Valley – 69
Â
- Records
- Mississippi Valley (1-14, 0-1 SWAC)
- Alabama State (4-10, 1-0 SWAC)
Â
Â
- Series History (Since 1983)
- Hornets Lead 51-42 (45.2%)
Â
- Winning Streak (Since 1983)
- Hornets (W5) / Delta Devils' Last Win: February 13, 2023 (76-70)
Â
Delta Devils' Top Performers:Â
Â
- Sams was an offensive force for Coach Ivory, racking up season and team-highs regarding points (22), field goals (9-of-14, 64.3%) and rebounds (8) while playing all 40 minutes.
Â
- Michael James kept his double-digit scoring streak intact with 13 points, added a half-dozen boards, set a season-high of five assists, and was one of three student-athletes to log multiple steals for Valley.
Â
- The duo of Patrick Punch and X'Zaevion Barnett both contributed new personal benchmarks for free throws made in 2025-26, the former swishing seven whereas the latter made four while combining to score 20 between them.
Â
Next:
 Â
- The other half of the prolonged Southwestern Athletic Conference's weekend slate concludes on Monday at 7 p.m. opposite Alabama A&M University.
Â
Follow the Mississippi Valley State men's basketball program on Twitter (
@MSValleyMBB) and Instagram (
@MSValleyStateMBB).
Â
Follow the Delta Devils / Devilettes on Facebook (
Valley State Athletics), Twitter / X (
@MVSUDevilSports), and Instagram (
@ValleyStateAthletics).
Â
#ValleyInMotion