Jaguars seek to rebound from loss against winless Grambling

 
With the Men’s basketball team proving to be mortal in Southwestern Athletic Conference play after their loss to Alcorn State last Saturday, they will try to regroup as they host the winless Tigers of Grambling State Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Grambling State (0-19, 0-9 SWAC) will have their hands full come Saturday, the last time the two teams met was in Grambling where Derick Beltran and Malcolm Miller combine for 46 points as the Jaguarscame away with a dominating 82-43 victory.
Since that victory over the Tigers, Southern has defeated their opponents by an average of 24.3 points a game.
But the loss to Alcorn State (8-16,6-3 SWAC) a team that was predicted by other SWAC coaches to finish eighth overall and that is currently fourth in conference play may prove to be beneficial for the Jaguars moving forward.
“After coming of that loss we really need to be confident on the court and that’s my concern is getting these guys confident again.” Said Men’s head basketball coach Roman Banks.
Beltran and Miller both are both the leading scorers for the team both averaging a combined 32.2 points a game but in there contest against the braves they were contained to only 25 points.
And with that lost to Alcorn State future opponents including Grambling State will be looking to gain advantage over SWAC lead Jaguars.
“Everybody will be looking and I think they would be paying attention after your first four games,” Banks said. “Malcolm is no surprise to anyone anymore so teams are doubling the post more and doing different things.”
Banks is hopeful that his guys will learn from that game and to also shoot better from the free throw line.
In the Jags lost to Alcorn State, they shot a dismal 54.3 percent from the line.
Grambling State’s Terry Rose is the leading scorer for the Tigers and is sixth in the SWAC in scoring averaging 14.6 points per contest, and in his last meeting against Southern equaled his scoring average.
 ”Every time your playing your rival you throw your records out the window,” said Banks. ” Their a team you got to be prepared for, they really been playing different ways some man, some zone, you really don’t know how they will probably play us.”
Grambling State has struggled all season, the closest the Tigers came to getting a win was against a Jackson State team who is also winless in SWAC play prior to defeating the Tigers.
If it makes matters worst for the GSU basketball program over the last four season the Tigers have compiled a 23-82 season and have never played in a NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament.
When Southern and Grambling renew their rivalry on Saturday in the Mini Dome the Jaguars will be the favorite riding the strong support of the fans and pageantry of Southern men’s basketball great Avery Johnson being their to have his name enshrined on to the same court the current Jaguars will play on.