The Jackson State Tigers (18-14) square off against the No.7-seeded Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (8-26) in the third round of the SWAC tournament at the Toyota Center. The game starts at 3:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11.
The Tigers easily got past Prairie View A&M 69-51 in the 2. Janarius Middleton played a key role, recording 11 points and 11 rebounds to notch his second double-double this season. The Delta Devils, meanwhile, are coming off a 64-61 win over Alcorn State in the 2. Marcus Romain shot 7-for-19 and led in scoring with 22 points.
Romain has been on fire over the last five games for the Delta Devils, averaging 26.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers.
The Jackson State defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks ninth in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 44.6%), while the Mississippi Valley State offense is 349th with a mark of 43.0%. Furthermore, the 346th-ranked offense of the Delta Devils (offensive efficiency of 91.2) will face a tough test against the 11th-ranked defense of the Tigers (defensive efficiency of 94.7).
The Tigers have won both matchups against the Delta Devils this season, including a 69-51 blowout in their last matchup. Romain scored a game-high 22 points.
Notes
Jackson State won its last game by an 18-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Mississippi Valley State is 0-9. Jackson State is 6-2 in blowouts this season.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils have a defensive rating of 107.4 (ranked 95th), while the Jackson State Tigers have an offensive rating of 99.7 (ranked 286th).
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils average 71.7 possessions per game and .912 points per possession. The Jackson State Tigers earn fewer possessions with 68.7, but they score more points with .997.
The Jackson State Tigers average an effective field goal percentage of 46.2% this season. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils have an underachieving record of 1-23 when opponents have an eFG% of 46.2% or greater.
Jackson State, the 35th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.6 rebounds per game. Mississippi Valley State does worse, ranked 204th with 35.7.
The Jackson State Tigers average 8.0 steals per game (ranked 23rd). The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils have a subpar record of 2-13 when they allow at least 7 steals.
