GAME NOTES: Statesmen Basketball at Valdosta State/West Florida (1.5-7.12)
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CLEVELAND, MISS. - The Statesmen (4-5, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University begin their quest for the Gulf South Conference title this week with a pair of league games at Valdosta State University (6-4, 0-0 GSC) and University of West Florida (9-4, 0-0 GSC).  Both games will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network with J.T. Webb and Clayton Coffman on the call.    

Two of the most successful programs in GSC history renew their conference rivalry on Thursday, Jan. 5, as the Statesmen and Blazers tangle at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga.  The two teams have met 28 times previously with DSU owning a 15-13 edge in the series standings.  DSU lost a heartbreaker 85-80 in the first round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament in the last meeting.

All of the previous seven meetings between the Statesmen and Argonauts have come in either non-conference matchups or GSC Tournament games.  Saturday's clash in Pensacola, Fla., will mark a change in the history of the series as the two clubs meet in GSC regular season play.  DSU owns a 5-2 edge in the series.   

The defending NCAA South Region Champion Alabama-Huntsville Chargers secured seven first-place votes en route to 49 points after also collecting a unanimous finish a year ago.  Valdosta State finished nine points behind with 40 points and the other first-place nod.  Christian Brothers came in at third place (35), followed by North Alabama (28) and West Georgia (22).  Completing the eight-team poll was Delta State (19), West Florida (18) and West Alabama (13).

Sylvester Collins, a 6-foot-9 forward from Madison, Miss., enters this week's games ranked No. 22 in the NCAA in blocked shots per game.

Mobile, Ala., native Cornel Knight has helped the Statesmen backcourt this season in a variety of ways. He's averaged 8.7 points per game, connected on nearly 30% from three-point land, has 1.6 steals per game and collected 5.0 rebounds per contest. 

Marqueys Brown has filled the role his coaches have asked of him through nine games this season. He has averaged a team-best 13.4 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding (5.1).

After starting the season 4-2, Delta State has hit a three-game skid heading into the New Year. The Statesmen are 1-3 on the road and 3-2 inside Walter Sillers Coliseum.

Through nine games this season, the Statesmen have had four different players lead the team in scoring. Missouri State transfer Aaron Cooper has scored a team-best 27 points (vs. Henderson State) while Marion Military Institute transfers Cornel Knight and Terry Leake Jr., have each led the team in scoring twice. Leake and Cooper are 16th and 17th, respectively, in scoring in the Gulf South Conference.

Jason Conner enters this week's contests with a 91-57 record in his six seasons as head coach of the Statesmen.  The Lakeland, Fla., native needs just nine wins to top the 100-victories plateau. 

UP NEXT
DSU returns to Sillers Coliseum next week for a pair of games versus West Georgia (1.12/8 p.m.) and West Alabama (1.14/6 p.m.).