LIVINGSTON, Ala. --- Mississippi College head women's basketball coach Paul Allen Duke will coach his 500th career game on Saturday when MC travels to face the University of West Alabama at 2:00 p.m. in Pruitt Hall.

This will be the 18th all-time meeting between the schools with MC holding a 10-7 edge in the series. The Tigers hold a 4-3 advantage in Livingston, and Duke is 2-1 all-time against UWA. MC played their first Gulf South Conference game since returning to Division II on December 4th against the Tigers. UWA held the Lady Choctaws to a season-low 20% shooting in a 50-40 loss in Clinton. Junior Kristen Sampson (Jackson, Miss.) led MC with 10 points, while sophomore Deizarae McCoy (Houston, Texas) had 10 rebounds.

Head coach Paul Allen Duke coached his first career game at MC in the 1995-96 season, a 76-37 victory over Selma. He is now the winningest coach in school history with 339 wins and has the school's highest winning percentage (.679). Duke earned his 300th career victory on January 14th, 2012 with a win over East Texas Baptist. Ed Nixon has coaches the second-most games in school histoy at 337.

After an intense, come-from-behind victory at home against rival Delta State on Saturday, the Lady Choctaws shot just 25% from the field in a 73-38 loss at West Georgia on Thursday night in Carrollton. MC fell behind early and the Wolves went on a 12-0 run to open the second half and put away any doubt of a comeback victory. Sophomore Shaniqua Love (Byram, Miss.) scored a season-high six points to lead MC.

Sampson and junior Ashley Minor (Natchez, Miss.) are tied for the team lead with 11.4 points per game. Opposing defenses have keyed on Sampson in recent games, holding her to single-digit scoring in three straight contests. She is shooting 45% from the three-point line and is third on the team with 27 assists. Minor leads the squad with 41 steals, including a season-high 10 against West Florida on December 18th.

The Tigers, led by first-year head coach Rusty Cram, have lost four of their last five games with the win coming in overtime against Valdosta State, 69-67. They opened the season with a 4-1 record, including the win over MC, but have struggled to finish off victories, as of late. All four of their losses in the last five games have been by single-digits, including a two-point loss to West Georgia on Saturday.

Senior Britney McCloud is the team's leading scorer (17.3 ppg) and rebounder (6.5 rpg), and she put up 17 points and seven rebounds against MC in their last meeting. McCloud is shooting 47% from the field and is good at getting to the line, shooting 70% from the charity stripe. Kelcia Bufkin (11.9 ppg) is the only other Tiger averaging in double-figures, and she is shooting nearly 80% from the free throw line. As a team, UWA is shooting 38% from the field and scoring 59.8 points per game, ranking near the bottom of the GSC.