Game 20
 
Jackson State vs Grambling
 
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 • 5:30 p.m.  • Jackson, Miss.

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JACKSON, Miss. – The Jackson State men's basketball team hosts Grambling (9-10, 3-3 SWAC) Saturday evening at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. 
 
Last Time Out

Jackson State (5-14) faltered at the hands of Prairie View A&M (8-10) Monday night in conference play by a final score of 74-60. 

Roland Griffin continued to shine Monday night, scoring a Tiger best 19 points, along with seven rebounds, and three blocks. Griffin was 7-of-9 from the free throw line and 6-of-11 from the field.

Tristan Jarrett tallied 17 points on 8-of-18 shooting and eight rebounds. Jayveous McKinnis and Dontelius Ross scored eight points a piece while McKinnis led the Tigers defensively with nine boards and four blocked shots

As a team, Jackson State finished 22-of-53 (41.5 percent) from the line with 26 points in the paint and 34 rebounds. 

JSU took a step back in the conference, falling to a record of 2-4 in SWAC play. Jackson State has dropped three straight conference games with two in a row to arguably the toughest teams in the SWAC.

Quick Buckets

Jackson State ranks 6th overall place in the SWAC with 65.4 points per game while also sitting near the top of the league in defense, allowing 73.1 points per game. 

JSU guard, Tristan Jarrett, ranks first place in the SWAC with 18.2 points scored per game. Jarrett also ranks top 10 in the conference in steals (No. 3, 33 steals), field goal percentage(No. 7, 38.7 percent), free throw percentage (No. 9, 65.3 percent), and 3 point field goals made per game (No. 6, 1.7 per game)

Sophomore Jayveous McKinnis leads the SWAC in rebounds per game, bringing in 8.5 boards each contest, while ranking second with 33 blocks.

Jonas James ranks No. 5 in the conference in total assists with 57 (3.0 APG).

Vinjie Wallis pulls in at No. 7 overall on the steals list in the conference with 18 total steals.

Top 10 Opponents
 
Throughout the 2019-20 season, the Tigers have faced off against two top 10 teams: No. 6 Baylor and No. 9 Memphis each back in the month of December. The Tigers were competitive against both teams but ultimately fell in each contest. 

Last Time Versus Grambling (Feb. 23, 2019)
BOX SCORE

The Jackson State men's basketball team never trailed and earned a 71-60 win over Grambling Saturday evening in Southwestern Athletic Conference action from the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center.
 
JSU improves to 10-17 and 7-7 in SWAC play, while Grambling falls to 13-14 and 7-7 in conference action.
 
The Tigers had four student-athletes finish in double figures. Senior Chris Howell dropped a team-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. The Milwaukee native also added seven rebounds and handed out a pair of assists.
 
Freshman Jayveous McKinnis scored 16 points and hauled in seven rebounds and recorded a pair of blocks – including a thunderous swat with 50 seconds remaining in the game to essentially closeout the contest.
 
Venjie Wallis added 13 points and came down with seven rebounds while dishing out five assists and recording three steals. The junior was also 6-of-8 at the free-throw line.
 
William Brown came off the bench and provided instant offense. The Jackson native scored 11 points and was 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
 
As a team, JSU shot 53.3 percent (24-of-35) from the field, including an electric 62 percent (17-of-27) in the first half.
 
The Blue and White, known for its defense, forced into 14 turnovers which was deposited for 18 points.

Scouting Grambling

Grambling comes to Jackson with an overall record of 9-10 and 3-3 in conference play.

The Tigers opend up conference with three straight wins over Alabama A&M (70-60), Alabama State (68-63), and Southern (61-56), yet have dropped the last three SWAC contests against the likes of Alcorn (87-69), Prairie View A&M (64-57), and Texas Southern (68-61).

GSU has two student-athletes averaging 10-points or greater and are led by Ivy Smith Jr. with 14 points per game. Devante Jackson is second on the team with 13.3 points a game.

Smith leads the Tigers with 84 assists and 46 total steals. Travon Bunch is a force defensively, leading the SWAC with 38 blocks and pulling in 5.6 rebounds on average.
Terreon Randolph brings in a team-best 6.4 rebounds each contest. 

The Tigers are coached by third year head coach Donte' Jackson.