Thursday, Febraury 7, 2013- Page 5
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SU preps for UAPB Aristide Phillips The Southern Digest
The Southern Jaguar Men’s basketball team concludes there two game home stand with wins over rivals Grambling State, 59-31, and Jackson State, 78-58, and will look to continue there success on the road against Arkansas Pine-Bluff Saturday Feb. 9 and Mississippi Valley State Monday Feb. 11 both times are set for 7:30 P.M. In the Jaguars (16-7, 10-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) last game against Jackson State it was the Derick Beltran show, the senior guard put up a career high 35 points going 8-14 from behind the arch, in addition he also performed well defensively with three blocks and seven defensive rebounds. “I knew Derick was in pretty good rhythm, kinda watch our guys before the game,” said Men’s basketball head coach Roman Banks after the Jaguars win. ”He’s going to have a series of plays and balls to go to him every game as he zeros in he will have the chance to make the most of his opportunity, he will get a number of opportunities whether he makes them or not. “ Beltran was confident in himself shooting 57 percent from the field. “It was my confidence coach (Banks) wanted me to be more aggressive and that’s what I did,” said Beltran. “Defensively that was
our point today coach said the better one-on-one defense I can play today the better off we’ll be in the end. Also performing quietly well behind Beltran’s career night was Malcolm Miller, the guard had a double-double scoring 21 points and recording 11 boards. “Malcolm is a guy who you don’t have to call his number all the time and he’s going to get points for you,” said Banks. “Its good to see that you have a guy on the floor that can break the defense down and help your team get one.” And the Jaguars were stout at halting the Tigers from making baskets; Jackson State shot a dismal 27.5 from the field and 18.5 percent from behind the arc. I thought we did a good job setting our tone early,” said Banks. “Their guards are a really aggressive bunch, their top four scorers are their guards and we just wanted to be aware of it and make them earn every basket.” The only bright spot for the JSU was guard Jeff Stubbs; he scored 11 points and hauled in seven rebounds. The Jaguars will go on the road to face the second place Golden Lions (10-13, 9-2 SWAC) in a match that will test the Jaguars. Southern’s last road game was in Alcorn State and it was the Braves that handed the Jags their first conference loss of the season.
SWAC Men SWAC Overall W L W L Southern 10 1 16 7 Ark.-Pine Bluff* 9 2 10 13 Tex. Southern* 8 2 9 14 Alcorn State 7 4 9 17 Alabama State 5 6 7 17 Prairie View 4 6 9 14 Alabama A&M 4 7 8 14 Jackson State 4 7 5 15 Miss. Valley St.* 3 8 3 18 Grambling State 0 11 0 18 ——— NOTE: Texas Southern, Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are ineligible for postseason play Saturday’s Games Southern at Ark.-Pine Bluff, 7:30 pm Alcorn St. at Miss. Valley St., 5 pm Prairie View at Grambling, 5 pm Tex. Southern at Jackson St., 5:30 pm Alabama A&M at Ala. State, 7:30 pm Monday’s Games Southern at Miss. Valley St., 7:30 pm Prairie View at Jackson St., 7:30 pm Tex. Southern at Grambling, 7:30 pm Alcorn St. at Ark.-Pine Bluff, 8 pm
The last time the two teams played was in Baton Rouge where the Jags took the cake defeating the Golden Lions 84-50 in that game Beltran had 22 points. “This road trip is really going to see what we are made of,” Said Banks. “ Pine-Bluff is a team that is capable of wining this league, they have bigs and have great athletes that can run the floor and have guys that can shoot from the perimeter
Talor Kinzy/DIGEST Southern University’s Yondarius Johnson dunks on Jackson State’s John Lewis during Monday’s game in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The Jaguars took home the win, 78-58. very well.” The Golden Lions lead the SWAC in steals and have the second largest home crowed in the SWAC.
The Jaguars will have to keep away from UAPB guard Lazabian Jackson, who leads the SWAC in steals averaging, 2.6 a game.
Jaguars win two close games, seek victory over Lady Lions Deldrick Hunt
SWAC Women
This past week the Lady Jags pulled off two nail bitters against their rivals beating Grambling 83-81 in double overtime and Jackson State 56-54. Southern (11-11, 10-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is currently on an eight game win streak. The Jaguars will take their show on the road as they travel to face Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Saturday and Mississippi Valley State on Monday. The play of Yasmin Fuller was key in both games as she was the leading scorer in the Grambling game with 21 and refused to let her team lose by taking over the Jackson State game in the final minutes. “I think Fuller at the end just decided that she wasn’t going to let us lose she just decided to put us on her shoulders and get it done.” Said women’s head basketball coach Sandy Pugh. The game was close throughout the largest lead was seven points by Jackson State midway through the second half. The game almost slipped away as the jags, Southern had fouls to give but were unable to get the refs to blow the whistle. “For whatever reason they slapped a kid in the face hit her on the arm but no called was made,” said Pugh.
SWAC Overall W L W L Southern 10 1 11 11 Tex. Southern 9 1 12 9 Miss. Valley St. 7 4 10 12 Alabama A&M 6 5 7 14 Prairie View 5 5 8 12 Jackson State 5 6 8 12 Alabama State 5 6 7 15 Ark.-Pine Bluff 3 8 7 14 Grambling State 3 8 5 18 Alcorn State 1 10 1 19 ——— Saturday’s Games Southern at Ark.-Pine Bluff, 5 pm Alcorn St. at Miss. Valley St., 3 pm Prairie View at Grambling, 3 pm Tex. Southern at Jackson St., 3 pm Alabama A&M at Alabama St., 3 pm Monday’s Games Southern at Miss. Valley St., 5:30 pm Prairie View at Jackson St., 5:30 pm Tex. Southern at Grambling, 5:30 pm Alcorn St. at Ark.-Pine Bluff, 5:30 pm
The Southern Digest
Talor Kinzy/DIGEST Southern University’s Yasmine Fuller drives past Jackson State’s Demara Howard during Monday’s game in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The Lady Jags bought home the win, 56-54.
Due to the non-call Jackson State was able to get a look at the basket but they came up short. Kendra Coleman who has been the Jaguar’s go-to scorer this season was the leading scorer for the Jags with 15 points. Kewara Ndongo of Jackson State led all scorers with a game high 18 points. It was Ndongo off the bench that kept the tigers in the game,
along with the Lady Tigers bench that poured in 44 points. Ayanna Hardy-Fulle and Dominique Brothern chipped in 10 points a piece off the bench. The Jags have been able to pull of close games. “Teaching teams how to win is not hard sometimes when they have won teaching them how not to lose becomes the bigger issue,” said Pugh. Next on the Jaguars schedule is Arkansas Pine Bluff, and in their last match up against the Golden Lions the Jags won easily by 23 points. Lechell Rush dominated their last match putting up a doubledouble scoring 20 points and bringing in 17 rebounds. The Lady Lions were held under 30 percent shooting from the field. Arkansas Pine Bluff is lead by Chigozianyi Okwumbua who is the sixth leading scorer in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Pine Bluff is currently in eighth place while lady jags sit a top the SWAC standings in first place and Lakendra Marsh the 10th leading scorer in the SWAC. The lady lions are Second in the SWAC in three-point field goal percentage, but however are next to last in scoring defense. As long as Southern come into the game focused they should be able to get another SWAC victory.