Southern (16-11/12-2 SWAC) holds a two-and-a-half game lead over Alabama State (15-9/9-4 SWAC) as both teams enter the game coming off important wins.  ASU was able to hold on for a 92-86 win over Alcorn while Southern won at Alabama A&M 70-62.
 
Southern comes into the match up with the league's top scoring defense only giving up 62.9 points per game.  They have solid scorers in Calvin Godfrey at 13.4 and Malcolm Miller's 11.5.
 
Godfrey is one of the top rebounders in the SWAC averaging 8.8 per game and is shooting almost 60 percent from the field while also imposing his 6'-9" frame in the middle of the defense with 41 blocked shots.  Miller has 61 three-point field goals and leads the team in steals with 41.
 
"Southern is very well coached and they are a very good ball club," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "They are good at every position and that is what makes them so tough.  They also have good reserves that come in and understand their roles accepted those and plays well."
 
"What we have to do is do a good job on Miller (Malcolm).  We have to do a good job on their big guys around the basket, limit them to one shot and be efficient in our offense."
 
Jamel Waters is coming off a career-high 28 points and leads ASU in scoring at 14.8 points per game.  Of course he also leads the SWAC in assists continuing to average six per game and is third in steals averaging 1.8 per game.
 
DeMarcus Robinson is coming off a 17-point performance against Alcorn and pushed his season scoring average back up to 12.1 points per game.
 
Maurice Strong has been solid in scoring over the past seven games averaging 13 points per game.  He continues to be among the league's leaders in rebounding averaging 6.7 per game, while Brandon Graham (5.4) and Luther Page (5.3) have done a solid job rebounding.
 
ASU is the SWAC's second leading scoring offense averaging 72.3 points per game while the defense continues to be solid only allowing the opposition 68.4 points per game which is third in the conference.
 
"We have to work our offense," Jackson said.  "We have to be patient and look for the good shot and that may include the second or third option in the offense.  We need to make them play some defense and get some shots to fall for us."
 
The game can be heard live on WVAS FM 90.7 and can be watched live on HornetVision at bamastatesports.com.