GAME NOTES: Lane College at Delta State University (11.13)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - A new era in Delta State University Men's Basketball is set to open the home portion of its schedule on Thursday, Nov. 14, as Mike Nienaber and the Statesmen (0-2, 0-0 GSC) welcome the Dragons (2-0, 0-0 SIAC) of Lane College to Cleveland. Tipoff is set for 7 PM at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Philip Tang will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network (WMJW 107.5 FM) and worldwide at GoStatesmen.com starting at 6:45 PM.   

Thursday's matchup on the hardwood is the first since a, 97-65, Delta State victory over the Dragons on Nov. 11, 2005. The Statesmen own a 5-3 edge in all-time series standings and has won the last two meetings between the programs. DSU has not ventured up to Jackson, Tenn., to face Lane since the 1996-97 season, a 92-91 victory on Jan. 28.

Delta State opened the season with a pair of losses to Florida Southern (92-74) and Eckerd (87-50) this past  weekend at the Gulf South Conference-Sunshine State Conference Crossover in Livingston, Ala. The Statesmen struggled shooting the basketball, managing just 37.1 percent from the floor in the two game.

Coming off a dramatic march to the league championship and with veteran coach Mike Nienaber taking over the program, Delta State was picked to finish 7th in the annual Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.  The University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers were tabbed as the conference favorites in the 2019-20 poll. UAH (134) was followed by West Alabama (128), Valdosta State (126), Union (103) and West Florida (88) in the top five. West Georgia (82), DSU (74), Lee (74), Montevallo (70), Christian Brothers (56), Mississippi College (37), Auburn Montgomery (30) and Shorter (12) rounded out the poll.

Mike Nienaber was introduced as the 16th head coach of the Statesmen on May 6, 2019 and the long-time skipper hasn't looked back. Nienaber comes to DSU after a highly decorated run as head coach at Christian Brothers University, where he won two Gulf South Conference championships, made five trips to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the 2009 NCAA DII Elite Eight. His 593 career wins, including a 351-224 record at CBU, rank 11th among active NCAA DII head coaches.

UP NEXT: Delta State will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Magicians (2-0, 0-0 SIAC) of LeMoyne-Owen College. The game marks the 13th meeting between the schools and the first since 2016, an 89-61 Statesmen win. DSU leads the series 7-5.