CLEVELAND, Miss - Looking to snap a three-game losing skid, the Delta State University men's basketball team visits in-state rival Mississippi College on Saturday, Jan. 27 as the two schools meet for the 94th time in the history of the Delta State and Mississippi College basketball programs.
| STATESMEN GAME DAY INFO |
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| Date |
Jan. 27: DSU at Mississippi College |
| Tip-Off Location/Time |
Jan. 27: A.E. Wood Coliseum - 4 P.M. |
| Series History/Last Meeting |
DSU leads series 55-37-1
- 2.6.17 | DSU W, 85-62 |
| Audio/Video |
Jan. 27 vs. MC: Listen Here
Jan. 27 vs. MC: Watch Here |
| Live Stats |
Jan. 27 vs. MC: Follow Here |
| Game Notes |
Delta State vs. Mississippi College |
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
- DELTA STATE, MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE TO DUEL FOR 94TH TIME: The Statesmen and the Choctaws will meet on the hardwood for the 94th time in each team's history. Delta State holds the 55-37-1 series lead, but Mississippi College owns a 24-19 record on their home floor. The Green-and-White come in at 8-12, but are right in the thick of the playoff race with eight games to go at 6-6 in GSC play. MC comes in at 6-6 in league play as well, and 9-8 overall. DSU and MC's .500 records in GSC play have them tied for the sixth spot heading into each team's final January contest.
ABOUT DELTA STATE:
- DAVIS DOING HIS PART: Senior forward PJ Davis continues to be an essential part of Delta State's offensive and defensive attacks, and is coming off of a career-high 33 points in a one-point loss on the road at Shorter. The Cleveland, Miss. native is averaging 15.7 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Davis leads the team in rebounding (121 total - 47 Off., 74 Def.) and blocks (32), and ranks second in the GSC in blocks per game (1.6).
- CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Davis moves into 13th all-time in scoring, tallying 1,168 career points in his career. He is just 21 points away from passing Mark Easley (1982-1985), who sits 12th with 1,188 points. Davis has climbed into the top 10 in school history in rebounding, as he sits in 10th with 676 career rebounds. He needs 15 rebounds to pass John Coles (1978-1981) for 9th all-time. Davis has played in every game of his Delta State career to this point, totaling 111 games played and 59 starts. He is tied with Charlie Lowe (1987-1991) for 9th place in games played at 111, and trails Brad Longino (1990-1993), who played 112 games in his DSU career.
- BENFORD CONTINUES TO RUN THE SHOW: Junior transfer Armon Benford has been an essential part of Delta State's attack. Running the point guard, the Chicago, Ill. native is averaging 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Benford has tallied seven games of at least five points, five rebounds, and five assists this season for the Statesmen.
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE:
- MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE OWNS SERIES IN CLINTON: The Choctaws trail the overall series to Delta State, but own the advantage in games held in Clinton. Mississippi College is 24-19 on their home floor against Delta State. DSU's last win against the Choctaws came last season, when the Statesmen knocked off the hosts 68-58 on Dec 1. DSU followed it up with a win at Walter Sillers Coliseum on Feb. 6 to sweep the season series a year ago.
- CHOCTAWS SPREAD THE WEALTH: Right in the thick of things in the race for the playoffs, Mississippi College's offense has been finding it's stride. MC posted 87 and 96 points, respectively, in wins against Lee and Shorter, and has posted 90 or more points in five of their nine wins. Senior forward Stacey Mack leads the charge, averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 12 games played this year. Junior Donovan Ham, a Texas Tech and Georgia Highlands transfer, is adding 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Sophomore Brandon Boston (13.3 ppg/6.4 rpg) and Antonio Johnson (12.6 ppg/4.5apg) each play key roles as well for coach Don Lofton.
- MC PICKING UP STEAM: The Choctaws are riding a two-game win streak heading into their tilt with Delta State, knocking off Lee and Shorter, both on the road, to pull their GSC record to 6-6. The Choctaws are tied for the sixth spot right now with the Statesmen and a half-game behind Montevallo and Lee. The Choctaws have eight games left, and have four of those games at home. They will travel to visit Delta State in Cleveland for the last game of the season on Thursday, Feb. 22.
UP NEXT:
Delta State returns home after the quick trip to Clinton to play host to West Georgia and Auburn Montgomery. The Statesmen and Wolves tip-off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1 for Pack the House/Boliver County Alumni Night, where the first 400 fans will receive a free t-shirt and rally towel. DSU turns around to play Auburn Montgomery on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
