HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - For the second time in four years, the third-seeded Delta State University men's basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament and will face the seventh-seeded Rollins College on Sunday, March 12 at 5 p.m. CDT at Spragins Hall in Huntsville, Ala.

 

GAME DAY INFO	NCAA SOUTH REGION TOURNAMENT
Date/Opponent	March 12: No. 3 seed Delta State vs. No. 7 seed Rollins
Date/Location/Time	March 12: Spragins Hall/Huntsville, Ala. - 5 p.m. CDT
Series History/Last Meeting	Rollins leads all-time series w/ DSU 0-1  - Last Meeting: 11.12.10 - RC W, 82-70
Audio/Video	March 12: Listen Here | Watch Here
Live Stats	March 12: Follow Here
Game Notes	Delta State vs. Rollins

 

• Delta State fell in the Gulf South Conference Tournament in the semifinal round against Alabama Huntsville, but received an at-large bid into this years tournament.
• Delta State is making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the first since the 2013-14 season. The Statesmen are 17-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and grabbed a crucial win in the quarterfinal round of the tournament against sixth-seeded Christian Brothers University, 80-67.
• The Statesmen boast a 6-3 record this season versus the field at the 2017 NCAA South Region Men's Basketball Tournament. The Green-and-White are 105-76 all-time versus the field as well.
• This will also be the second time in head coach Jim Boone's five seasons at the helm that the Statesmen have reached the post season. Boone has also taken three other Division II institutions to the NCAA Tournament, and in his 21 years of coaching at the Division II level has reached the post season 10 times (six at California Pa., one at Tusculum, one at West Virginia Wesleyan and twice at Delta State).
• Delta State advanced to its 13^th second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball South Region Tournament, but boast a 3-9 record in the second round of the tournament.
• Delta State has only met Rollins College once in the overall series back on Nov. 12, 2010 where the Tars claimed a 82-70 victory at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
• The Tars are led by a quad of scoring leaders in Sam Philpott (14.9 ppg), Jeff Merton (14.4 ppg), Joey Galvis (10.5 ppg) and Deion Clark (10.5) all averaging double-digits. Rollins advanced to the semifinals after defeating second-seeded Valdosta State, 89-85 in overtime.
• As a team, the Statesmen average 76.4 points per game and on the defensive side of the ball, Delta State continues locking down its opponents to an average 70.8 points per game.
• Senior guard Devin Schmidt reached this level during his freshman season and now returns for his senior season, is averaging 22.8 points per game which ranks second in the league and 4.7 assists per game to also rank second.
• Schmidt broke the Gulf South Conference all-time scoring record against CBU and now has 2,581 career points (21 ppg), is 43 percent (866-of-2011) from the floor and 35.8 percent from three-point range (304-of-848).
• In the game against Shorter (Feb. 28), he eclipsed the 500 career assist mark with six assists and broke into the 700 career rebounds with seven against CBU. Schmidt was named to the First Team All-GSC and All-GSC Tournament Team earlier this month.
• Junior Cedric Harper continues to be clutch for the Statesmen, Harper has averaged 11.6 points in the last five games and 1.7 blocked shots per game. Ravion Henry continues to make a splash off the bench averaging 9.8 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The winner of the Delta State-Rollins game will face the winner between No. 21 Alabama Huntsville (25-7, No. 1 seed) and Barry (23-6, No. 4 seed) on Tuesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the championship game.