GAME NOTES: Delta State @ Union/Christian Brothers (1.17-19.19)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - With the race for the Gulf South Conference regular season title heating up, the Delta State University men's basketball team enters a crucial road swing this week, as the Statesmen (11-4, 7-1 GSC) travel to Union University (9-7, 4-4 GSC) on Thursday, Jan. 17 to face the Bulldogs. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm at Fred Delay Gymnasium. DSU continues its road trip on Saturday, Jan. 19 in Memphis, Tenn., at Christian Brothers University (10-6, 6-3 GSC). Both games will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network and streamed online at GoStatesmen.com.
Philip Tang will have the call.
Thursday's game versus the Bulldogs is the 55th all-time between Delta State and Union. The Statesmen, who lead the series 41-13, defeated Union, 77-57, in the first meeting this year between the schools on Dec. 17, 2018 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
Rasheide Bell led the Statesmen with 18 points. DSU also defeated Union on its last trip to Jackson, Tenn., 85-79, on Feb. 16, 2017.
Following Thursday's game at Union, Delta State heads back up Highway 61 to Memphis to face perennial GSC power Christian Brothers University on Saturday, Jan. 19. Tipoff is set for 3 pm at Canale Arena. The matchup is the 99th meeting between the clubs with DSU owning a 59-39 edge in the series standings. In last year's series each team won on the opposition's home court, including a 55-53 thriller for the Statesmen at Canale, as P.J. Davis canned three free throws with 0.4 seconds left to seal the win.
Saturday's matchup will also feature two head coaches with 1,134 combined victories, as CBU's Mike Nienaber has won 584 games in 36 season while DSU's
Jim Boone has captured 550 in 33 years.
Delta State enjoyed a 2-0 week at Walter Sillers Coliseum in GSC play, as the Statesmen defeated West Florida, 71-62, on Thursday, Jan. 10 before upsetting then-No. 14 ranked Valdosta State University, 88-83, on Saturday, Jan. 12.
Justin Slocum scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Statesmen to the win over VSU.
Armon Benford (10 points/10 rebounds) and
Cedric Harper (14 points/10 rebounds) also turned in double-doubles versus the nationally-ranked Blazers.
A founding principle of coach
Jim Boone's style of play is tenacious, grinding defense. As the Statesmen (11-4, 7-1 GSC) enter the heart of the Gulf South Conference schedule, Delta State leads the league in scoring defense (63.8)and field goal percentage defense (39.7%). This defense-first mentality has led the Statesmen to 11 wins in their last 13 games, including seven straight in GSC play.
INSIDE THE PAINT: NEWS, NOTES & SIDEBARS
- Senior guard Brett Warner, a preseason All-GSC selection, comes into this week ranked seventh in the league in points per game (14.7). 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 13th on the career scoring chart with 1,215 points. His 35 combined points in wins over West Florida (13) and No. 14 Valdosta State (22) pushed him past Mark Easley on the career chart. He joins former All-American Devin Schmidt, DSU's all-time leading scorer with 2,594 points, and Jack Madgen (2012-16/1,163) to accomplish the feat under coach Jim Boone.
- Justin Slocum has increased his productivity mightily in the last few weeks, scoring a career-high 24 points and 17 rebounds in DSU's 88-83 win over No. 14 Valdosta State. The junior from Macon, Ga., is averaging 11.6 points per game and ranks fourth in the GSC with 7.7 rebounds per contest.
- Armon Benford continues to play at a high level, averaging 8.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He ranks fourth in the GSC in assists per game and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Senior forward Cedric Harper has turned in a double-doubles in two of his last three games, including 14 points and 10 rebounds in DSU's 88-83 win over No. 14 Valdosta State. He has owned the paint for the Statesmen and is on pace to set a new DSU record for career FG percentage (70.7%). The Tallahassee, Fla., native currently leads the GSC in FG percentage (67.0%) and blocks (25) while averaging 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
- Senior guard Rasheide Bell continues to play well since joining the starting lineup, including 12 points versus No. 14 Valdosta State. The Evansville, Ind., native is averaging 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season.
- Matthew Wilson is currently ranked ninth in GSC in 3-pointers made per game (2.1) and ranks second in 3-point FG percentage (43.7%). The Farmington, Ark., native is averaging 9.8 points per game. Earlier this year, he scored a career-high 23 in DSU's 90-62 win over Bethel.
- Cameron Burkett, a senior forward from Houston, Texas, is averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 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 and cleared a career-best seven rebounds in a 66-57 win at West Georgia.
- A founding principle of coach Jim Boone's style of play is tenacious, grinding defense. As the Statesmen (11-4, 7-1 GSC) enter the heart of the Gulf South Conference schedule, Delta State leads the league in scoring defense (63.8)and field goal percentage defense (39.7%).
- The Statesmen have won 11 of their last 13 games, including seven straight in GSC play.
- Delta State enters the week ranked No. 1 in the GSC in FG percentage, shooting 49.9% from the field.
