JACKSON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team used a hot-shooting second half to erase a halftime deficit and pick up an 83-75 victory over Belhaven University on Tuesday night at Rugg Arena.

The Choctaws (2-0) trailed 43-37 at the break but shot 53% (16-of-30) from the floor in the second half to outscore the Blazers (2-8) by 14 and walk away with the win. MC finished the night with 19 assists on 29 field goals, led by junior Johnny Rucker with four helpers.

Junior Tory Rice led the way for MC with 19 points and 12 rebounds, going 11-of-12 from the free throw line. As a team, MC went 23-of-32 (71%) from the charity stripe and outrebounded Belhaven, 45-31.

Four Choctaws finished the game in double-figures as junior Tristan Moore scored 14, while freshman Stacey Mack had 13 and senior Emmanuel Ezejiofo had 12 in his season debut.

The Blazers jumped out to their largest lead of the game with one minute left in the first half as Jerrial Dawson made a layup to push the score to 43-35. MC would go on an 8-0 run over the end of the first and beginning of the second half to tie it up.

The teams would stay within four points over the first 15 minutes of the second half, but the Choctaws went on a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to take a 75-67 lead and the advantage would not be fewer than five points the rest of the way.

Jordan Bedford led all players with 20 points for Belhaven, while De'la Mayers had 19 and 10 rebounds.

The Choctaws will be off until next Thursday when they host West Alabama at 8:00 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum, playing their first Gulf South Conference game since the 1995-96 season.