HATTIESBURG, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with a 96-95 double-overtime, exhibition loss at Southern Miss on Thursday night at Reed Green Coliseum.

The Choctaws grabbed an early 17-11 lead in the opening minutes, but the Golden Eagles bounced back and took a 43-33 advantage into the halftime break.

The second half saw MC make a run and take a 55-50 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. The Choctaws would take a lead into the final minutes, but USM closed the gap and sent the game into overtime with the score 71-71.

After each team scored 11 points in the first overtime, the Golden Eagles jumped out to a five-point lead in the final minute, but a couple late three-pointers by junior Antonio Johnson gave the game its final one-point score.

Johnson led all scorers with 22 points, going 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from behind the three-point line. Junior Stacey Mack tallied a double-double with 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Overall, five Choctaws scored in double-figures with senior DeOndre Haynes (16 pts), junior Otis Harvey (13 pts) and freshman Brandon Boston (10 pts) turning the trick.

The Choctaws shot 48% (31-of-64) from the floor and outrebounded the Golden Eagles, 46-38.

Raheem Watts and Quinton Campbell led USM with 17 points apiece, while Cortez Edwards had a game-high eight assists.

The Golden Eagles shot 46% (33-of-72) from the field and scored 25 points on 23 MC turnovers.

The Choctaws will be back in action on Thursday, November 17th when they travel for an exhibition game at Nicholls in Thibodaux, La.

Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu