GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) Adrian Rodgers scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help Southern beat Mississippi Valley State 68-56 on Monday night.
Joell Hopkins had 13 points and Tre Lynch added 12 for Southern (13-14, 10-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Keith Davis had a team-high 10 rebounds as the Jaguars held a 50-37 advantage on the glass.
MVSU pulled within three points, 54-51, but Southern scored the next eight points, with back-to-back 3-pointers by Lynch, to extend its lead to 62-51 with 4:30 left. The Jaguars led by as many as 14 points in the second half.
Jeffrey Simmons led Mississippi Valley State (5-21, 4-9) with 16 points. Jordan Washington had 14 and Billy Jackson added 10. The Delta Devils made just 19-of-63 shots (30.2 percent).
Simmons gave MVSU a 30-29 lead with 18:06 left in the second half, but Southern scored the next seven points and never relinquished its lead.
