Defense keeps Southern Jaguars in SWAC race

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern men’s basketball coach Roman Banks insists on his teams being tough-minded defensively, and this year’s version is obliging.

The Jaguars are allowing the fewest points per game (56.2) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and are limiting conference opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage (34.6) and lowest 3-point percentage (24.4).

That defense is the primary reason Southern (8-2 and 11-13 overall) remains in the thick of the conference race as it hosts Jackson State (5-5, 7-16) about 8 p.m. Monday in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“Our team identity is a defensive team,” center Keith Davis said. “We’re scrappy, we’re physical. For us to win it’s going to be won on the defensive end before the offensive end.”

Still, Banks would like to see a little more offensive consistency so the team is a little less dependent on exceptional defense.

CONTINUE READING