AVALON, Miss. (Interstat) — Alabama A&M cruised to a 71-51 victory over Mississippi Valley State in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Monday at LeFlore County Civic Center. The Bulldogs built a commanding 35-19 halftime lead and maintained control throughout the second half. Michael James led all scorers with 22 points for the Delta Devils. Koron Davis and Kintavious Dozier each scored 14 points for Alabama A&M. Alabama A&M improved to 8-7 overall. Mississippi Valley State fell to 1-15. An announced crowd of 125 attended the Southwestern Athletic Conference game.

AVALON, Miss. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant opening act, the Alabama A&M Bulldogs built an insurmountable first-half lead and cruised to a 71-51 victory over the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Monday night at a sparsely attended LeFlore County Civic Center. The most important part of the game was unquestionably the first 20 minutes, where Alabama A&M established a defensive stranglehold. The Bulldogs held the Delta Devils to a mere 19 points before halftime, forcing 12 turnovers and blocking three shots. That defensive intensity fueled a 35-19 lead at the break, a deficit from which Mississippi Valley State, now 1-15 overall, never threatened to recover. Alabama A&M, improving to 8-7, saw its offense flow from that defensive foundation. The Bulldogs used a balanced scoring attack, with four players reaching double figures. Koron Davis, a 6-foot-6 guard from Gary, Indiana, and Kintavious Dozier, a 6-1 guard from Lanett, Alabama, each scored 14 points. Dozier added three assists. Louis Hutchinson, a 6-7 forward from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, contributed 10 points, two assists and a block, while Jalen Carruth of Atlanta chipped in 11 points. The Delta Devils, who shot poorly from the field throughout, were carried by the individual effort of guard Michael James. The Byhalia, Mississippi, native played 37 minutes and scored a game-high 22 points, accounting for nearly half of his team’s first-half output. He also dished four assists. Forward Lamont Sams of Savannah, Georgia, provided defensive resistance with four blocks and nine points. The second half saw Mississippi Valley State find a slight offensive rhythm, outscoring Alabama A&M 32-36, but the Bulldogs’ lead never dipped below 14 points. Alabama A&M consistently answered any modest Delta Devil run with scores in the paint or at the free-throw line, maintaining complete control of the contest’s tempo and outcome. Bilal Abdur-Rahman, a 5-11 guard from Atlanta, orchestrated the Alabama A&M offense effectively off the bench, finishing with nine points and four assists in 21 minutes. Forward PJ Eason of Dadeville, Alabama, anchored the interior with eight points, several key rebounds and a block. For Mississippi Valley State, Daniel Mayfield, a 6-8 forward from Toccoa, Georgia, scored nine points. The Delta Devils’ ongoing struggles were highlighted by their difficulty in generating consistent offense outside of James, as the team finished well below its season scoring average. The game was a return to the win column for Alabama A&M following a road loss at Arkansas-Pine Bluff this past Saturday. For Mississippi Valley State, the loss extends a difficult season that has featured numerous road games against high-major opponents and a single victory over non-Division I MUW. Alabama A&M will look to build on this conference win when it hosts Alcorn State on Saturday. Mississippi Valley State continues its search for a second victory as it travels to face Prairie View A&M, also on Saturday. The announced attendance was 125.

Preview: Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils AVALON, Miss. (Interstat) — A struggling Mississippi Valley State squad seeks a desperately needed turnaround when it hosts Alabama A&M to open SWAC men’s basketball play Monday at LeFlore County Civic Center. The Delta Devils (1-13) enter conference action mired in a 10-game losing streak, largely built against a brutal non-conference schedule featuring road losses at power conference programs Oklahoma, West Virginia, Florida State and Kansas State. Their lone win came against Utah Tech in double-overtime on Nov. 14. Mississippi Valley State will rely on guard Michael James, who has been a consistent scorer despite the lopsided results. James is averaging 21.4 points over his last five games, including a 27-point effort against Tarleton State and 24 points at Oklahoma on Dec. 29. Alabama A&M (7-6) has found more success in non-conference play, including a 90-58 rout of Fisk in its most recent outing on Dec. 30. The Bulldogs have won three of their last five. Guard Kintavious Dozier paces the Bulldogs, averaging 13.4 points per game. He is coming off a 12-point, six-assist performance against Fisk and scored 24 points in a win over North Alabama on Dec. 15. The matchup presents a stark contrast in momentum. Alabama A&M has defended its home court well, going 5-2 in Huntsville. Mississippi Valley State is 0-5 at home, with all games at the Civic Center, and has lost those contests by an average of 19.6 points. This game begins the SWAC schedule for both teams. Alabama A&M will look to establish itself as a conference contender, while the Delta Devils aim to halt their skid and find a fresh start in league play. The teams will meet again in Huntsville on Feb. 14.