JACKSON, Miss. (Interstat) — A pair of teams seeking momentum in the Southwestern Athletic Conference race will meet Monday when the Texas Southern Tigers visit the Jackson State Tigers. Both teams enter the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup at Lee E. Williams Athletic Center with identical 4-12 overall records. Texas Southern is coming off a narrow 72-71 road victory at Alcorn State on Saturday, while Jackson State edged Prairie View A&M 82-78 at home the same day. The game features a compelling backcourt showdown between two of the SWAC’s most dynamic guards. Jackson State will rely on the hot hand of Daeshun Ruffin, who is averaging a staggering 36.8 points over his last four games. The senior erupted for 39 points and 10 assists in a loss at Alabama A&M on Jan. 12, following a 36-point performance in a win at Alabama State. Texas Southern counters with Zytarious Mortle, who scored 22 points in 30 minutes in a blowout win over Mississippi Valley State last week. Mortle’s production has varied, but he logged 38 minutes in a close loss to Abilene Christian in December, showing his capacity for a heavy workload. Despite their struggles in non-conference play, both teams have shown signs of life in the SWAC. Jackson State is 3-1 in its last four, with its only loss in that span coming in the high-scoring affair at Alabama A&M. Texas Southern has split its last two conference games. The home team has won the last three meetings in this series. Jackson State will look to continue that trend and climb above .500 in league play, while Texas Southern aims to string together consecutive conference wins for the first time this season. Tipoff is set for Monday night in Jackson.