After enduring a 25-game losing streak, Mississippi Valley State stunned Texas Southern 72-71 on Saturday night, ending months of frustration with a steal and game-winning layup in the final seconds.
The victory marked Mississippi Valley State’s first win since November and snapped one of the longest active losing streaks in Division I basketball.
And they did it in dramatic fashion.
Michael James Delivers the Game-Winner
With four seconds remaining and Valley trailing 71-70, Texas Southern had possession on an inbounds play beneath their own basket.
After a smothering double team on the inbounds pass, Michael James jumped into the passing lane, and quickly hit a layup that left Texas Southern stunned. The basket gave Mississippi Valley State a 72-71 lead — their first advantage in the final minute.
James finished with 24 points, shooting 8-of-19 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. He also added four assists and two steals, none bigger than the final one.
A Long Road to This Moment
The win ended a brutal stretch for Mississippi Valley State.
Following a season-opening victory over Mississippi for Women (97-61), the Delta Devils dropped 25 straight games. The skid included road losses at UAB (106-55), Murray State (108-60), Kansas State (108-49), Florida State (96-49), West Virginia (86-51), Oklahoma (93-69), and Texas A&M (120-84).
Conference play proved equally difficult. Valley suffered narrow defeats to Prairie View (70-69) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (78-70), along with double-digit losses to Alabama State, Jackson State, and Texas Southern.
The streak finally ended at home against the Tigers — the same team that had defeated Valley 84-51 earlier in the season. The win against Texas Southern was the first Division I win of the season for Valley.
Back-and-Forth Finish in the Final Minutes
Saturday’s final three minutes were filled with tension.
- 2:49 — Jordan Gorecki’s dunk gave Texas Southern a 69-68 lead.
- 1:52 — Zytarious Mortle hit two free throws to extend the Tigers’ lead to 71-68.
- 1:04 — Xzayvion Childress answered with a fastbreak layup to cut it to 71-70.
- 0:04 — Michael James stole the ball and converted the go-ahead layup for the 72-71 win.
Valley’s defense forced the decisive mistake. Texas Southern committed 11 turnovers on the night, including the final one that sealed their fate.
Balanced Effort for the Delta Devils
James led the way, but he wasn’t alone.
Daniel Mayfield added 17 points and seven rebounds. Xzayvion Childress contributed 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Mississippi Valley State shot 47% from the field (27-of-57) and outrebounded Texas Southern 34-29.
The Delta Devils also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and recorded 14 assists, showing poise in crunch time.
Texas Southern received 17 points from Duane Posey and 15 from Alex Anderson but could not execute down the stretch in what should have been a winnable basketball game.