FOR PLANNING, SPORTS

PEARL RIVER, Miss. (Interstat) — Two men’s junior college basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when the Southern-Shreveport Jaguars visit the Pearl River Wildcats.

The non-conference matchup at Marvin R. White Coliseum pits Southern-Shreveport (3-3) against a struggling Pearl River squad (1-5). Both teams are looking to build consistency as the season progresses.

The Wildcats have lost five straight, most recently a 75-61 defeat at Shelton State on Monday. In that game, sophomore guard Kelan Rich posted a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Rich has been a bright spot, averaging 12.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over his last five outings. He will be a primary focus for the Jaguars’ defense.

Southern-Shreveport enters with a .500 record after a 76-72 road victory at Hinds on Dec. 2. The Jaguars have shown resilience in close games, with two of their three wins coming by four points or fewer. Their results have been uneven, however, following that win with a long break before this contest.

A statistical projection from Interstat forecasts a dead-even outcome, simulating a 100-100 tie. This suggests a potentially high-scoring and tightly contested game between two teams hungry for a win.

For Pearl River, halting its skid will require more offensive support around Rich. For Southern-Shreveport, leveraging its recent road success and finding scoring balance will be key.

Following this game, Pearl River opens its January schedule at home against Shelton State on Jan. 5. Southern-Shreveport travels to face Bishop State on Dec. 18.