Preview: Wallace State Lions at Southern Union State Bison

WADLEY, Ala. (Interstat) — The Wallace State Lions and Southern Union State Bison will meet for the second time this season in a men’s junior college basketball game Thursday night, with the visiting Lions looking to avenge a January loss.

Wallace State (11-10) enters with a winning record but has dropped three of its last five games. The Lions are coming off a narrow 89-87 home victory over Gadsden State on Monday, where Trey Knight posted 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Knight, a key facilitator, has averaged 7.2 assists over his last six contests.

Southern Union State (5-16) seeks its first win since Feb. 9, having lost three straight, including a 118-86 defeat at Bishop State on Sunday. Despite the team’s struggles, Don Tinsley has been a consistent standout, scoring 30 points in that loss. Tinsley torched Wallace State for 28 points, nine rebounds and two assists in the teams’ first meeting, a 88-84 Bison road win on Jan. 22.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 100-100 tie, highlighting the potential for a close contest despite the disparity in overall records. Southern Union State’s two conference wins this season came against Lawson State and Wallace State.

For Wallace State, support for Knight has come from Tyson Barrett (16 points vs. Gadsden State) and Kylen Clark (20 points). Southern Union State will rely on Tinsley’s scoring punch and contributions from Dash Thomas and Khalon Johnson, who each added 16 points in the last outing.

The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at the Bison home court. Wallace State visits Shelton State next on Monday, while Southern Union State hosts Lawson State the same night.