The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (5-22) take on the Texas Southern Tigers (12-12) at Leflore County Civic Center. The game starts at 5:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The Delta Devils got blown out by Southern 97-64 in their last game. Marcus Romain finished with 24 points to lead the game. The Tigers are coming off a 79-72 win over Grambling State in their last outing. David Blanks led the team in scoring with 20 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Over the last five games, Romain has really been playing well for the Delta Devils. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers. Derrick Griffin has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 14.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 3.0 blocks while leading the Tigers.
Points at the line might be difficult to come by for the Delta Devils in this contest. They are 321st in the nation in FTA rate (30.2), while Texas Southern is among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a FTA rate of just 24.4, sixth in the country).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Tigers won the first game 75-60. Griffin played a big role with 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Notes
Mississippi Valley State lost its last game by a 33-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Texas Southern is 3-3. Mississippi Valley State is 0-8 in blowouts this season.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils average a field goal percentage of 38.4% this season. The Texas Southern Tigers have a losing record of 6-11 when opponents have a FG% of 38.4% or greater.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and the Texas Southern Tigers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Mississippi Valley State is 347th and 343rd in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Texas Southern ranks 166th and 136th in these categories.
The Texas Southern Tigers rank 75th in offensive rebounds. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils rank 237th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Mississippi Valley State has forced an average turnover percentage of 19.4% this season. Texas Southern has a poor 4-9 record when its TO% is 19.4% or higher.