JACKSON, Miss. – The Jackson State men's basketball team travels to southern Texas this weekend for its second Southwestern Athletic Conference road trip of the season.
The Tigers match-up with Prairie View A&M Saturday at 5 p.m. and Monday at Texas Southern, which is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted nationally on ESPNU.
A Look Back
Last Week JSU went 2-0 and defeated Alcorn State and Southern in a pair of hotly contested finishes.
Senior
Chris Howell converted a pair of free throws with 2:32 remaining in the second half as the Tigers fended off the Braves, 59-52.
Junior
Venjie Wallis scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Howell added 10 points and was hit a perfect 4-of-4 at the charity stripe. Freshman
Jayveous McKinnis dropped eight points and was dominate on the glass with 11 rebounds and added two blocks. Senior
Jontrell Walker came off the bench and added 10 points while handing out three assists.
A
Jeremiah Bozeman steal and a fast-break bucket from Wallis with 1:46 remaining in the second half broke a 54-54 tie to help the Tigers finish off Southern, 64-58
Wallis dropped a game-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. The junior also added six free throws and hauled in seven rebounds. Howell made his presence felt inside the paint and scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor. The Milwaukee native also added four boards. Walker, whose role is to come off the bench and provide instant offense, added 12 points and found his way to the free-throw line, converting 6-of-8 attempts.
It's All About Defense
Through the first half of the season the calling card for the Tigers has been its defense. The Blue and White allow 67.4 points per game, which ranks first in the conference.
Howell and Wallis 1-2 Punch
Howell and Wallis are the primary offensive threats for the Tigers. Howell averages 12.3 points per game, which ranks 12
th in the SWAC. However, Howell makes his living in front of the basket and leads the conference in total rebounds (170) and rebounds per game (8.9). Howell's field-goal percentage is 42.1 percent, which is fourth in the SWAC.
Wallis averages 11.2 points per game, which is 18
th overall in the conference. The 6-foot-6 guard is converting 57 percent of his free throws, which is 14
th in the conference and averages 30.1 minutes per game, which is a team-high and eighth in the SWAC.
