CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team got the 2014-15 season off to a fast start with a 77-57 victory over Spring Hill College on Thursday night at A.E. Wood Coliseum.

Junior Tory Rice recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead five scorers in double-figures for the Choctaws (1-0). The Itawamba CC transfer went 8-of-11 from the floor and also had four steals and an assist. Junior Tristan Moore and freshman Stacey Mack each had 15 points, while senior Jay Case scored 12 points on four second-half three-pointers.

The Badgers (0-4) jumped out to a 5-1 lead after Rice made a free throw before the opening tip due to a technical foul on Spring Hill for dunking in pre-game warm-ups. Jarrett Calhoun nailed a three-pointer and Frederick Gatson made a layup to give SHC the early advantage.

MC would go on to score 14 straight points and never trailed again the rest of the game. After the Choctaws took a 35-23 lead into the halftime break, the Badgers scored the first points of the second half on a layup by Sam Hutcheson. MC scored seven straight points on a huge alley-oop from Jay Case to Moore and a long three-pointer by Case on an assist from Moore.

The Choctaws took their biggest lead of the game with 7:38 remaining in the game at 64-40 when junior Johnny Rucker made a free throw. Rucker scored 11 points with four rebounds and an assist.

Robert Drummond led the Badgers with 12 points, while Calhoun had 11 points. Reginald Harbin had a team-high eight rebounds for Spring Hill.

The Choctaws will be back in action next Tuesday when they travel to face Belhaven at 7:00 p.m.