JACKSON, Miss. | Jackson State returns to action on Saturday at home with the first of two games in three days, facing Grambling State inside the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.

The game tips at 3 p.m. on SWACTV.

Jackson State [6-14, 5-2 SWAC] looks to keep pace with league-leader Bethune-Cookman this week beginning with their game against Grambling State. The two teams have met 99 times since since 1977, with Jackson State holding a 63-36 advantage, including winning the last match-up in 2025. This season, the Tigers are led by Daeshun Ruffin in both scoring and assists, averaging 21.9 points [28.6 in conference play] and 5.6 assists per game [8.7 in conference play]. The senior guard. who recorded three consecutive double-doubles earlier this season, is joined in double figures by Jayme Mitchell Jr. at 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while Dorian McMillian is averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season after missing the last game against Florida A&M.

Dionjahe Thomas, who recorded back-to-back double-doubles earlier this season, is averaging 6.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play, while Tamarion Hoover is averaging 7.7 points per game in conference play off the bench.

Game Info - Jackson State vs. Grambling State
Saturday, Jan. 31 | 3:00 p.m. | Lee E. Williams AAC | SWACTV
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Game Notes

• Daeshun Ruffin is having a special year 20 games into the season as he leads the conference in several categories and is ranked in the top 30 in the country in some. The senior guard currently leads the conference in free throws [123],points [416], and points per game [21.9]; while also being second in the confernce in assists 106], assists per game [5.6], and free throw attempts [48]; not to mention being third in field goal attempts [302], field goals [133], and free throw percentage [86.6]. The senior is ranked 11th in the nation in scoring, 17th in free throws, and 29th in points. He is just outside the top 30 in field goal attempts [31] and assists per game [36].
• Ruffin and Dionjahe Thomas recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games, with Ruffin recording one in the last three games. Ruffin opened the week with 23 points and 10 assists against Prairie View A&M [1.17.26], before following that up with 22 points and a career-high 16 assists against Texas Southern [1.19.26]. Meanwhile, Thomas recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds against Prairie View A&M 1.17.26], and followed that up with 18 points and 12 rebounds against Texas Southern [1.19.26]. Ruffin also recorded a double-double against Alabama A&M [1.12.26] with 39 points and 10 rebounds.
• Head coach Mo Williams has two sons on the bench [at least at some point this season] with his son KyDarrius serving as a an assistant coach, while another of his sons - Mike - comes in as a highly-touted recruit from Germantown High School.
• McMillian quietly recorded a career-high against Texas Southern [1.19.26] while a pair of players were recording double-doubles. The sophomore guard finished with a career-high 25 points including connecting on 58.3 [7-of-12] percent of his shots from the floor and 87.5 [7-of-8] percent from the free throw line.
• Tamarion Hoover has come off the bench in conference play averaging 9.2 points a game, while he averaged 15.5 points per game in a pair of games against Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
• The game at Houston [seventh] marked the fifth game against a nationally-ranked opponent after Jackson State has faced [ranked at the time] Illinois [17th], Louisville [11th], Auburn [20th], and Arkansas [14th] so far this season. That is the most ranked teams played in the conference. They have also played the second-toughest schedule in the country according to multiple sources.
• The 94 points scored against Texas Southern [1.19.26] is the highest scored this season by the Tigers, however, they have scored 80 or more points in all five of their conference games.
• Ruffin is averaging 21.9 points per game which places among the nation's best this season [11th in the nation]. In conference play, he is currently averaging 28.6 points per game, scoring 30 or more points in three of the first five conference games. The senior has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games, and 13 of the last 14.
• The Tigers' backcourt has scored 1091 total points, 81.5 percent of the points scored this year by Jackson State. That includes 884 points combined by Daeshun Ruffin, Dorian McMillian, and Jayme Mitchell Jr. - 66.1 percent of the total points scored by the Tigers.

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