ITTA BENA, Miss. | Jackson State returns to action on Saturday against in-state foe Mississippi Valley State on the road looking to keep pace with the conference leaders, with six teams within three games of the conference lead halfway through the season.

The game tips at 5 p.m. on SWACTV.

Jackson State [6-15, 5-4 SWAC] is tied with three others teams for third in the conference, one game back of Alabama A&M and three games back of league-leader Bethune-Cookman heading into the match-up with MVSU. The two teams have met 101 times since since 1977, with Jackson State holding a 54-47 advantage, including winning the last five. This season, the Tigers are led by Daeshun Ruffin in both scoring and assists, averaging 23.3 points [30.3 in conference play] and 5.7 assists per game [8.2 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 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Dorian McMillian is averaging 10.8 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 5.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in conference play, while Tamarion Hoover is averaging 6.4 points per game in conference play off the bench.

Game Info - Jackson State at Mississippi Valley State
Saturday, Feb. 7 | 5:00 p.m. | R.W. Harrison HPER Complex | SWACTV
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Game Notes

• Daeshun Ruffin is having a special year 22 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 attempts [173], free throws [148], points [489], and points per game [23.3]; while also being second in the conference in assists [119], assists per game [5.7], field goal attempts [347] and field goals [154]; not to mention he is third free throw percentage [86.2]. The senior is ranked second in the nation in scoring, fifth in free throws, 10th in points, 16th in field goal attempts, and 16th in free throw attempts. He is just outside the top 30 in assists per game at 35th and field goals at 38th.   
• 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.
• 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.
• The overtime game with Southern is the first this year for Jackson State, and is the second time in two years that the two teams battled to overtime.
• The 21-point deficit was the largest overcome this season by Jackson State when it forced overtime against Southern.
• Devin Ree was perfect from the floor on Monday against Southern, connecting on all six shots [including all five three-point attempts], while also blocking a pair of shots in the loss.

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