CLINTON, Miss. - Four Statesmen contributed double-figures in Delta State University's 77-66 victory over Mississippi College at A.E. Wood Coliseum on Saturday night. DSU extended its win streak to four and remains in first place in the Gulf South Conference.

Inside the Matchup

• Score: Statesmen 77 – Choctaws 66
• Records: Delta State (11-6, 8-3 GSC); Mississippi College (7-6, 5-6 GSC)
• Series: This was the 88th meeting between the Choctaws and Statesmen. DSU leads the all-time series 50-36-1.
• Location: A.E. Wood Coliseum | Clinton, Miss.
• Short Story: Four Statesmen contributed double-figures in Delta State University's 77-66 victory over Mississippi College at A.E. Wood Coliseum on Saturday night. DSU extended its win streak to four and remains in first place in the Gulf South Conference.

How It Happened

• With the rivalry rekindled, the contest was a fast-paced affair from the get go.
• PJ Davis provided Delta State the lead, 25-23, at the 8:10 mark in the first half with a layup. DSU did not relinquish the lead until late in the second half.
• A decisive 19-7 run compiled by DSU over 5:08 gave the Statesmen the boost they needed.
• DSU executed at the perimeter with Devin Schmidt and LaQuavius Cotton draining two 3-pointers each in six trips down the court. The Statesmen led MC 34-25 with 6:17 remaining in the first half.
• Delta State held the 46-39 advantage over Mississippi College at the half, in large part from shooting 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from beyond the arc.
• Fouls plagued second-half action for both teams. With only 14 fouls called each way in the first half, 35 were called in the second, prohibiting both squads from gaining momentum.
• An MC 10-0 run over a three-minute span late in the game put the Choctaws back in the ball game. The Blue-and-Gold took the lead on a Johnny Rucker free throw at the 8:13 mark, 60-59.
• Junior Jack Madgen quickly snatched the lead back on a 3-pointer, 62-60, with 7:49 to go.
• The Statesmen closed out the final three minutes on an 8-1 run to earn their fourth straight victory, 77-66.
• Delta State shot 61.9 percent (26-of-42) from the field, 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from 3-point land, and 73.9 percent (17-of-23) from the charity stripe.
• Schmidt finished the contest with 24 points for his second straight 20-point performance to lead all scorers.
• Cotton continued his hot streak against his former team, tallying 19 points to tie his career-high previously established against North Alabama on Jan. 7.
• Davis picked up a career-high seven blocks while adding 11 points. Alister Chisholm chipped in 16 points for his fourth consecutive double-figure performance.

Beyond the Numbers

• The last time these two squads met was Feb. 27, 1996, almost two decades, at A.E. Wood Coliseum where MC took the narrow 50-49 victory.
• Senior LaQuavius Cotton returned to Clinton for the first time since his playing days as a Choctaw. With his 19-point contribution, the 6-foot-6 guard has provided double-figures in five of the last six games.
• Sevierville, Tenn. native Devin Schmidt now has eight 20-plus point games and twelve 15-plus point games on the season. The 6-foot-4 guard surpassed 800-career points against MC to give him 806 points over his career.
• Prior to this matchup, the Choctaws were averaging a field-goal percentage defense of 48.0 percent. Delta State's 61.9 percent is the highest field-goal percentage Mississippi College has allowed all season.
• Delta State remains in first place in the conference, tied with Alabama-Huntsville.

Who's Next

• Delta State will be on the road next week with a two-game road stint against West Alabama on Thursday, Jan. 22 and West Georgia on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tipoff against the Tigers is set for 7:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. against the Wolves. Philip Tang and Scott Wyant will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network starting 15 minutes before game time.