LIVINGSTON, Ala. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team will travel to the University of West Alabama and look to snap a two-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in Pruitt Hall.

This will be the 61st all-time meeting between the schools with the Choctaws holding a 31-29 advantage. The two teams met earlier this season on December 4th in the Gulf South Conference opener for both schools. West Alabama held off a late charge from MC in a 78-69 victory in Clinton. Junior Tory Rice (Starkville, Miss.) led MC with 17 points, but the Choctaws were just 1-of-10 from the three-point line in the contest. 

Head coach Don Lofton is in his 11th season at the helm, winning his first two games of the season for his 180th career victory. Lofton has compiled a 108-32 (.771) record at home, including a perfect mark in the 2005-06 season.

The Choctaws traveled to West Georgia on Thursday night and held an 85-81 lead with under a minute to go in The Coliseum. The Wolves scored the final five points of the game to pick up the 86-85, comeback victory. Rice scored an MC season-high 28 points, going 10-of-15 from the field. Junior Tristan Moore (Senatobia, Miss.) tallied 14 assists in the game, marking the first time a Choctaw has posted double-figure assists since 2002 (Daniel Kennnedy, 10).

MC has dropped three of their last four games after winning four straight conference games. The defense has been the key to their successes, going 7-0 when they hold teams to less than 50% shooting from the field. They are 0-7 when teams hit the 50% mark. The Choctaws are also 5-0 on the season when they hold opponents to fewer than 60 points.

Rice leads the team in both points (16.4 ppg) and rebounds (9.1 rpg) while shooting 60% from the field. He has scored in double-figures in all but one game this season, including scoring at least 10 in each of the last nine games. Junior Johnny Rucker (Yazoo City, Miss.) is also averaging in double-figures with 12.5 points per game and scored 16 on Thursday against West Georgia. Senior Jay Case (Brookhaven, Miss.) found his shooting touch on Thursday, going 4-of-5 from long range with 14 points.

The Tigers, led by first-year head coach Allen Sharpe, are one of the hottest teams in the Gulf South Conference, winning five straight games and seven of their last eight. They are 7-0 at home this season and are coming off a 72-65 victory over Delta State on Thursday night in Livingston. Over their five-game winning streak, UWA has not allowed more than 71 points in a game.

Justin Wright is the team's leading scorer at 14.5 points per game whiel shooting 51% from the floor and 45% from the three-point line. Wright scored 14 points with six rebounds in the earlier meeting with the Choctaws. Charles Eaton came off the bench to score 22 in the victory over Delta State on Thursday. He also had a season-high 28 points in the victory over MC in Clinton.