Zytarious Mortle Drains Six Treys As Texas Southern Rolls Past Mississippi Valley St.

HOUSTON — Texas Southern guard Zytarious Mortle sparked a much-needed rebound as the Tigers rolled past Mississippi Valley State 84–51 on Monday night at H&PE Arena.

“Zytarious was huge from behind the arc,” coach Johnny Jones said. “I thought our guys did an excellent job of shooting the ball, sharing the ball tonight, making extra passes, playing with rhythm.”

Mortle buried 6 of 9 shots from three-point range and finished 8 of 12 from the floor (66.7 percent), leading a Texas Southern offense that found its rhythm after early SWAC struggles.

That rhythm had been elusive during the Tigers’ first three conference losses, but Monday’s performance marked a clear turnaround. Texas Southern connected on 29 of 58 field-goal attempts (50 percent) and shot 51.5 percent from beyond the arc, overwhelming the Delta Devils from the opening minutes.

Texas Southern Tigers Basketball Team - 2026 | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

The Tigers also controlled the glass, edging Mississippi Valley State 36–32 in rebounding.

Troy Hupstead continued his steady play with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Bryce Roberts added 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Guard Zaire Hayes chipped in 12 points and four assists in the balanced scoring effort.

Mississippi Valley State was led by Patrick Punch, who scored 18 points, and Mussa Mzein, who recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“What we were trying to do tonight was to make sure that we defended well,” Jones said. “Punch, I thought, still had a really good game — he finished with 18 tonight — but I thought our guys did an excellent job.”

Texas Southern heads to Mississippi with a 1–3 SWAC record for upcoming road games against Alcorn State and Jackson State. The Tigers return home to face Alabama A&M on Saturday, Jan. 24, with HBCU GO set to broadcast the game from H&PE Arena.

Published 1 hour ago

KYLE MOSLEY

I am Kyle T. Mosley, the Founder, Managing Editor, and Chief Reporter for the HBCU Legends. Former founder and publisher of the Saints News Network, and Pelicans Scoop on SI since October 2019. Morehouse Alum, McDonogh #35 Roneagles (NOLA), Drum Major of the Tenacious Four. My Father, Mother, Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles were HBCU graduates! Host of "Blow the Whistle" HBCU Legends, "The Quad" with Coach Steward, and "Bayou Blitz" Podcasts. Radio/Media Appearances: WWL AM/FM Radio in New Orleans (Mike Detillier/Bobby Hebert), KCOH AM 1230 in Houston (Ralph Cooper), WBOK AM in New Orleans (Reggie Flood/Ro Brown), and 103.7FM "The Game" (Jordy Hultberg/Clint Domingue), College Kickoff Unlimited (Emory Hunt), Jeff Lightsly Show, and Offscript TV on YouTube. Television Appearance: Fox26 in Houston on The Isiah Carey Factor, College Kickoff Unlimited (Emory Hunt). My Notable Interviews: Byron Allen (Media Mogul), Deion Sanders (Collegiate Head Coach), Drew Brees (Former NFL QB), Mark Ingram (NFL RB), Terron Armstead (NFL OL), Jameis Winston (NFL QB), Cam Newton (NFL QB), Cam Jordan (NFL), Demario Davis (NFL), Allan Houston (NBA All-Star), Deuce McAllister (Former NFL RB), Chennis Berry (Collegiate Head Coach), Johnny Jones (Collegiate Head Coach), Tomekia Reed (Women's Basketball Coach), Tremaine Jackson (Collegiate Head Coach), Taylor Rooks (NBA Reporter), Swin Cash (Former VP of Basketball - New Orleans Pelicans), Demario and Tamala Davis (NFL Player), Jerry Rice (Hall of Famer), Doug Williams (HBCU & NFL Legend), Emmitt Smith (Hall of Famer), James "Shack" Harris (HBCU & NFL Legend), Cris Carter (Hall of Famer), Solomon Wilcots (SiriusXM NFL Host), Steve Wyche (NFL Network), Jim Trotter (NFL Network), Travis Williams (Founder of HBCU All-Stars, LLC), Malcolm Jenkins (NFL Player), Willie Roaf (NFL Hall of Fame), Jim Everett (Former NFL Player), Quinn Early (Former NFL Player), Dr. Reef (NFL Players' Trainer Specialist), Nataria Holloway (VP of the NFL). I am building a new team of journalists, podcasters, videographers, and interns. For media requests, interviews, or interest in joining HBCU Legends, please contact me at kmosley@hbcusi.com. Follow me:

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