SOUTHERN SEEKS BOUNCE-BACK WIN AGAINST STRUGGLING MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — The Southern Jaguars will look to rebound from a heartbreaking loss when they host the struggling Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Southern (7-12, 3-3 SWAC) is coming off a 75-74 home loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, a game in which they surrendered a late lead. The Jaguars have shown promise in conference play, however, with notable wins over Grambling, Bethune-Cookman and Texas Southern this month. A key to Southern’s success has been the play of guard Michael Jacobs. Over his last six games, Jacobs is averaging 21.0 points and 5.8 assists per contest, including a 30-point outing against Prairie View and a 15-point, 11-assist double-double in the recent loss to UAPB. Mississippi Valley State (1-19, 0-5) arrives in Baton Rouge mired in a 12-game losing streak. The Delta Devils’ lone win came on Nov. 30 against a non-Division I opponent. Their conference struggles have been pronounced, losing their five SWAC games by an average margin of 20.2 points, including a 62-48 defeat to Florida A&M on Jan. 19. Guard Xzayvion Childress has been a bright spot for the Delta Devils, scoring a team-high 14 points in the loss to Florida A&M. He will need a significant performance to challenge a Southern defense that has been more effective at home in conference play. The Jaguars have won three of their last five and will be heavily favored against a Valley State team that has faced a brutal schedule, including road blowouts at power conference programs like Kansas State, Florida State and West Virginia in non-conference play. Southern holds a distinct advantage in both record and recent form. A victory would keep the Jaguars in the middle of the SWAC standings, while the Delta Devils continue their search for any positive momentum in a difficult season. Tip-off is set for Tuesday night at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.