When Prairie View snapped the Jackson State women’s basketball team five-game winning streak, the Lady Tigers knew they had to bounce back quickly and come back strong for the final stretch of the season.
Since that 89-80 loss to PV, Jackson State (12-13, 8-6) quickly got back to business, picking up two big wins at home over Texas Southern (73-64) and Grambling (89-60). For the Lady Tigers, however, their work is not done.
Jackson State faces Mississippi Valley on the road Saturday afternoon, a game that is critical for both teams as they look to secure a spot in the conference tournament. For Lady Tigers head coach Tomekia Reed and her team, they are taking this game seriously despite the Devilettes’ standing in the conference.
“Everybody is trying to get into the tournament including Valley,” Reed said.
“They are going to play us really hard there. Anytime you go on the road and play a rival team, its going to be a tough game to play”
Mississippi Valley (4-22, 3-12) has lost its last six games coming into Saturday’s game. In the Devilettes last six games, they have lost by an average of 20 points.
In the first match between the two teams, JSU defeated MVSU 87-56 in the friendly confines of the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center. The start to that game was not a good one for the Lady Tigers, something Reed has stressed to her team coming into the Saturday matchup.
“We cannot have a slow start defensively and our players are well aware of that,” Reed said.
“We have to come out and put Valley away fast.”
MVSU features two guards in LaKendra Bassett and Kristy Parker who lead the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 and 10.6 points respectively. As a team, the Devilettes rank seventh in scoring offense (59.6 points per game) and last in scoring defense (76.0 ppg).
Jackson State enters the game first in scoring offense (69.5) and sixth in scoring defense (67.2 ppg).
Marneisha Hamer, the second-leading scorer in the SWAC, leads the Lady Tigers in scoring off the bench, averaging 16.1 points per game. Christina Ellis averages 12.8 ppg followed by Kaisah Lucky with 8.7 points per game.
Against MVSU, Jackson State shot 50 percent (30-of-60) from the field and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. The Lady Tigers will look to start strong and earn another victory on the road.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.