GAME NOTES: Delta State (7-3) at Miles (5-3)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - With Christmas and New Year's on the horizon, the Delta State University men's basketball team will travel to Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday, Dec. 19 to face in-region rival Miles College. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Knox-Windham Gymnasium. The Statesmen (7-3, 3-1 GSC) are coming off a big, 77-57, victory over Union University this past Monday, Dec. 17 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.

Wednesday's matchup is the second this season between Delta State and Miles, and the 12th all-time. The Statesmen, who lead the series 9-2, claimed a 58-52 come-from-behind victory on Nov. 17 in Cleveland behind DSU's stifling second-half defensive effort. Rasheide Bell and Justin Slocum led the Statesmen with 12 points apiece while Cedric Harper added 10 points and five blocks. Devante Fuller's 12 points led Miles.

Delta State enters the week ranked No. 2 in the GSC in scoring defense, as the Statesmen allow 65.2 points per game. The Statesmen have been particularly good in GSC play, holding West Alabama to just 62 points and Union to 57, which is 27 below its seasonal average.

The Statesmen will take the remainder of the month off before returning to GSC play on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.   

INSIDE THE PAINT: DELTA STATE QUICK CUTTERS
• Senior guard Brett Warner, a preseason All-GSC selection, comes into this week ranked seventh in the league in points per game (15.1). The Collierville, Tenn., native became the 18th player in DSU history to top 1,000 career points with his 22 point effort versus Fisk on Nov. 15, 2018 at Sillers Coliseum. He is currently 16th on the career scoring chart with 1,140 points and needs 12 points to pass Paul Davis (1990-94/1,151) for 15th. He joins former All-American Devin Schmidt, DSU's all-time leading scorer with 2,594 points, to accomplish the feat under coach Jim Boone.

• Senior forward Cedric Harper has owned the paint through the first eight games for the Statesmen and is on pace to set a new DSU record for career field goal percentage (71.6%). The Tallahassee, Fla., native currently leads the GSC in FG percentage (67.7%) and blocks (18) while averaging 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He also ranks third in steals (1.9).

• Senior guard Rasheide Bell has picked up his play of late, scoring in double figures in Delta State's last five games. The Evansville, Ind., native is averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season. In DSU's 74-65 win at Mississippi College, Bell led the Statesmen with 17 points and followed up that performance with 18 points and five boards in Monday's 77-57 win over Union.

 • Matthew Wilson is currently ranked seventh in GSC in 3-pointers made per game (2.5), but leads the league in 3-point FG percentage (50.0%). The Farmington, Ark., native is averaging 11.6 points per game after scoring a career-high 23 in DSU's 90-62 win over Bethel.  

• Justin Slocum has proven to be major force on the glass, ranking 11th in the GSC in rebounds per game (6.7). The junior from Macon, Ga., is also averaging 10.8 points per game in 24.5 minutes of action.

• Armon Benford, a senior point guard from Chicago, Ill., enters the week ranked third in the GSC in assists per game (5.5) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3). Benford is averaging 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season.

• Senior forward Cedric Harper is on pace to set a new DSU record for career field goal percentage (71.6%). The Tallahassee, Fla., native currently leads the GSC in FG percentage and blocks (18) while averaging 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He also ranks third in steals (1.9).

• Cameron Burkett, a senior forward from Houston, Texas, is averaging 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. The former Bossier Parrish CC transfer scored a season-high eight points in DSU's 74-65 win at Mississippi College on Dec. 15 while scoring five points and clearing five rebounds in the 77-57 win over Union on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018 at Walter Sillers Coliseum..

• Delta State is allowing 65.2 points per game to rank second in the GSC in scoring defense  while ranking sixth in scoring offense (74.4). The Statesmen are second in scoring margin (+9.2) as well.

• The Statesmen lead the GSC in FG percentage (51.7%) and FG percentage defense (38.7%).