Ruffin leads Jackson State against Mississippi Valley State

Jackson State Tigers (6-16, 5-4 SWAC) at Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (1-21, 0-8 SWAC)

Itta Bena, Mississippi; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Jackson State plays Mississippi Valley State after Daeshun Ruffin scored 35 points in Jackson State’s 96-91 overtime loss to the Southern Jaguars.

The Delta Devils have gone 1-6 at home. Mississippi Valley State has a 1-10 record against teams over .500.

The Tigers are 5-4 in conference matchups. Jackson State has a 0-10 record against opponents above .500.

Mississippi Valley State’s average of 5.1 made 3-pointers per game is 4.1 fewer made shots on average than the 9.2 per game Jackson State gives up. Jackson State averages 8.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 fewer made shots on average than the 9.7 per game Mississippi Valley State gives up.

The matchup Saturday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams in conference play.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael James is shooting 43.4% and averaging 20.6 points for the Delta Devils. Patrick Punch is averaging 7.8 points over the last 10 games.

Jayme Mitchell averages 1.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Tigers, scoring 12.9 points while shooting 33.9% from beyond the arc. Ruffin is averaging 29.4 points, eight assists and 1.6 steals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Delta Devils: 0-10, averaging 61.0 points, 25.3 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 7.0 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 40.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 79.2 points per game.

Tigers: 5-5, averaging 76.6 points, 31.3 rebounds, 12.1 assists, 5.1 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 41.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 84.7 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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