Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
The Mississippi College men’s basketball team will open up Gulf South Conference play on Thursday night when they host rival Delta State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at A.E. Wood Coliseum.
This will be the 92nd all-time meeting between the two in-state rivals with DSU holding a 53-37-1 edge in the series. The teams split last year’s meetings with the home teams getting victories, including the Choctaws grabbing a 71-66 win to close the 2015-16 regular season.
Head coach Don Lofton enters his 13th season at the helm of the MC program, tallying 199 career victories over 319 games.
The Choctaws are shooting 82% (40-of-49) from the free throw line, a mark that leads the GSC. MC also ranks 3rd in the league in scoring defense (68.5 ppg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.17).
Junior Stacey Mack (14.0 ppg / 12.0 rpg) leads the conference in rebounding after setting a career-high with 16 boards in the season-opener against Auburn Montgomery.
Senior DeOndre Haynes (16.0 ppg) ranks 9th in the GSC in scoring after putting up 19 points in the comeback win over Spring Hill, tallying 15 points in the second half.
Junior Antonio Johnson (12.5 ppg) is shooting 50% (7-of-14) from the three-point line, while freshman Brandon Boston (9.0 ppg) is shooting 57% (8-of-14) from the field.
The Statesmen are led by 5th-year head coach Jim Boone, who surpassed the 400-win mark for his career last season. He has 74 wins through a little more than four seasons in Cleveland.
DSU is led by preseason All-American Devin Schmidt, who is already the school’s all-time leading scorer at the beginning of his senior season. He is the GSC’s second-leading scorer (24.5 ppg), but is averaging just 14.0 ppg over his last two contests.
James Kilpatrick (11.3 ppg / 7.3 rpg) and Cedric Harper (11.0 ppg / 8.5 rpg) are also averaging in double-figures and lead the Statesmen in rebounding.
