GAME NOTES: Delta State at Montevallo (2.28.19)
Complete weekly release in PDF format
CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Delta State University men's basketball team looks to solidify its Gulf South Conference Tournament seeding this week, as the Statesmen (16-10, 12-7 GSC) travel to Trustmark Arena in Montevallo, Ala., on Thursday, Feb. 28 to face the Falcons (9-20, 5-14 GSC) of the University of Montevallo. The game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network and streamed online at GoStatesmen.com.
Philip Tang will have the call.
Thursday's Delta State at Montevallo clash is the 18th meeting between the schools on the hardwood. The Statesmen have won four in a row against the Falcons, including a 77-68 win on Dec. 1, 2018 at Walter Sillers Coliseum earlier this season. Delta State leads the series standings 15-2, which includes a 71-67 victory over Montevallo in the Gulf South Conference Championship game at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss., on March 5, 2006 to give the Statesmen their sixth league title.
Coach
Jim Boone and the Statesmen are one of eight programs locked into spots for the upcoming Gulf South Conference Tournament. While seeding is yet to be determined, the field includes West Alabama, Valdosta State, Christian Brothers, Alabama Huntsville, Union, DSU, West Georgia and Lee. DSU will be traveling to open the tournament on Tuesday, March 5.
Led by
Brett Warner's 18 points, Delta State slammed Mississippi College, 86-54, on Senior Day this past Saturday, Feb. 23 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
Matthew Wilson chipped in with 17 points while
Justin Slocum added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Armon Benford narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists. DSU held MC to just 36.7 percent from the floor while shooting as 56.6 percent for the game. It was DSU's sixth straight win over MC. Following the game, DSU honored its 2018-2019 senior class -
Rasheide Bell,
Armon Benford,
Cliff Fernandez,
Cedric Harper,
Mitch Keller, and
Brett Warner.
INSIDE THE PAINT: @DeltaStateMBB News & Notes
- Senior guard Brett Warner passed P.J. Davis (2014-2018/1,350) for eighth on the career scoring list with 1,360 points after scoring 18 versus Mississippi College on Saturday. The Collierville, Tenn., native also moved past another former teammate, Jack Madgen (2012-2016), for second on the career 3-pointers made with 191 after going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Warner also ranks second in attempts (545), eighth in games played (113) and needs six assists to crack the top 10 in that category. He is currently averaging 14.3 ppg, which ranks 10th in the GSC.
- Four Statesmen are averaging in double figures, as Delta State travels to Montevallo this week. Brett Warner (14.3 ppg) ranks 10th in the GSC in points per game and leads the team in scoring followed by Rasheide Bell (12.6 ppg), Justin Slocum (10.6), and Matthew Wilson (10.5 ppg).
- Delta State enters this week's match-up versus the Falcons ranked 24th in NCAA Division II in scoring defense, allowing 66.7 points per game.
- Junior forward Justin Slocum (6.9 rpg) and senior guard Armon Benford (6.8 rbg) both rank in the top 10 in the GSC in rebounding. Slocum is currently sixth while Benford is seventh.
- Senior forward Cedric Harper scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Statesmen past Auburn Montgomery, 71-62, at Sillers Coliseum. The Tallahassee, Fla., native currently leads the GSC in FG percentage (65.4%) and blocks (38) while averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
- Justin Slocum has continued his consistent play at the forward spot for Coach Boone and the Statesmen. The junior from Macon, Ga., is averaging 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He currently ranks sixth in the GSC in rebounding and second in FG percentage (54.1%).
- Matthew Wilson is averaging 10.5 points per game. He is second in the GSC in 3-point FG percentage (42.7) and 10th in 3-pointers per game (2.2)
