GAME NOTES: Delta State vs. Mississippi College (1.16.16) CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The No. 22/18 Statesmen basketball team of Delta State University looks to bounce back from a road loss and take on rival Mississippi College at Walter Sillers on Saturday.
| STATESMEN GAME DAY INFORMATION |
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| Date/Location | Jan. 16, 2016 | Walter Sillers Coliseum | Cleveland, Miss. |
| Tip-off Time | Mississippi College - 4 p.m. |
| Records | Statesmen (12-4, 7-3 GSC) | Choctaws (5-7, 4-6 GSC) |
| Series History | DSU leads series 52-36-1 |
| Audio | Listen Here |
| Video | Watch Here |
| Live Stats | Follow Here |
TIP-OFF
Delta State University men's basketball snapped a four-game win streak in an 83-80 road loss against the Shorter Hawks on Monday, Jan. 11. With the loss, the Statesmen relinquished their share of the top spot in the Gulf South Conference standings. After last weekend's games, Alabama Huntsville is now the lone team in first place.
The Statesmen debuted at No. 22 in the NABC Top 25 Poll on Tuesday, Jan. 12, their first ranking since the week of Nov. 24, 2014 when they were No. 21. DSU is also ranked No. 18 in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
DSU swept the rekindled series with Mississippi College last season, winning 77-66 at A.E. Wood Coliseum and 71-70 on Senior Day at Walter Sillers Coliseum. The rivalry with Mississippi College is one of Delta State basketball's oldest, playing the first matchup on Jan. 12, 1948. DSU won 67-56. The series was halted when the Choctaws made the move to Div. III in 1995 but was reignited on Jan. 17, 2015, two decades later, in Clinton when the Green-and-White defeated MC 77-66.
Schmidt, a 6-foot-4 guard, earned GSC Player of the Week on Tuesday, Jan. 12, his second of the season and fifth of his career. The Sevierville, Tenn., native continues to climb through the record book, ranking fifth in scoring (1,513 points) and assists (315), ninth in field goals made (509), seventh in field goals attempted (1,090), and second in 3-pointers made (174) and 3-pointers attempted (440). Schmidt is averaging 25.1 points per game, holding the top spot in the conference in scoring, ranking sixth in NCAA Division II, first among juniors, and third among juniors in all of NCAA.
As a team, Delta State leads the league in scoring defense (69.3 ppg) and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (41.9%), 3-point field goal percentage (39.1%), free throw percentage (73.6%) and rebounding defense (32.3 rpg).
