Southern University defeated Mississippi Valley State on Monday night, but the majority of the game took place at the free throw line, as the two teams combined to commit 67 fouls.
Southern won the game 78-74 behind 19 points from Derick Beltran, but the biggest stat of the night was that the two teams combined for 97 free-throw attempts and only hit about 67 percent of them. The Jaguars, who are 17-8, including 11-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference, hit just 35 of 53 from the line, while the Delta Devils went 30 of 44 for the night.
Southern was led by 10-of-13 free throws from Javan Mitchell, who had 18 points in the game, while Jameel Grace had 14 points and Brandon Moore added 12. Mississippi Valley had 17 attempts from Davon Usher, who led the way with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Matt Smith also had a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards.
Five players in total fouled out, including four from Southern. The game was close towards the middle and stayed tight at the end, but Southern never allowed it to get close enough for Mississippi to hit a game-winning shot.
Southern next plays Alabama State and has the chance to break their tie atop the conference with Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who also has an 11-2 record. Beltran is leading the team in scoring, while Moore is tops in rebounding with nearly eight per game.
