Must win road trip

A three-game winning streak has kept the Jaguars atop of the Southwestern Athletic Conference with only five games remaining as they prepare for a three-game road trip through Alabama and Mississippi.
The Jags (12-11 overall, 11-2 SWAC) will face defending regular season and tournament champion Alabama A&M, Alabama State, and Alcorn State before coming back home for their final two games. Southern defeated all three teams at home this season.
“This will be a tough road trip, we will still be okay if we can win two out of three,” said Head Coach Rob Spivery. “This team has been good all year and we have done what we set out to do.”
The win against Mississippi Valley 71-60 on Monday has allowed Southern to keep its first-place standings in the conference. Against Valley, junior guard Deforrest Riley-Smith put up 19 points including 5 of 6 three-pointers, senior guard Chris Alexander added 13 points with seven of 10 free throws, and senior forward Peter Cipriano had 12 points and nine rebounds.
Deforrest Riley-Smith was named newcomer of the week, helping the Jaguars to a 2-0 week averaging 20.5 ppg and 4.5 rebs. His top game came against Arkansas-Pine Bluff where he scored 22 points with 5 rebounds. In two games he hit 10-15 (66.7%) from behind the 3 pt arch, going 5-6 (83.3%) against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (02/13).
As they prepare to maintain their winning streak, the match up between Southern and Alabama State will become more intense than Spivery defeating his former team 72-68 in overtime on The Bluff, as he prepares to enter the arena he once called home.
“It’s going to be tough,” Spivery said. “They’re waiting for us over there.”
With game wins from the road trip, the Jaguars will put themselves in a good position to win the Western Division of the SWAC.