CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team will welcome Shorter University to A.E. Wood Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. The Gulf South Conference contest is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. tip-off.

This will be just the 4th all-time meeting between the two schools with Shorter holding a 3-0 edge in the series. The teams began playing last season as MC re-entered GSC play. Earlier this season, the Hawks picked up an 87-80 win in Rome on January 9th.

In the early-season meeting, Jonathan McGee had a big day, tying a school record with eight made three-pointers against the Hawks. Justin Henley knocked down eight long balls in the 2001-02 season against Crichton College. The 29 points by McGee is the most for a Choctaw in any contest this season.

The Hawks were able to build up a 13 point lead with under seven minutes to play, but the Choctaws were able to cut the deficit down to 73-72 with just under four minutes remaining. MC trailed by just two with 1:09 left, but Shorter outscored MC 7-2 over the final 69 seconds to clinch the win.

The Choctaws are coming off a tough loss to Lee University on Thursday night that saw them erase a four-point halftime deficit and take a 75-67 lead with 4:44 left in the game. The Flames went on a 20-3 run to close the game and pick up a road win. Stacey Mack scored a season-high 21 points, while DeOndre Haynes had 13 points with nine rebounds and five assists.

MC head coach Don Lofton is in his 12th season with his 200th career victory in sight. Lofton, who has been a part of the program for more than 30 years, has won 196 games as the head man and coached his 300th career game against UWF.

The Choctaws have seen a change in their production over the last three games with injuries and supensions taking their toll late in the year. The Choctaws played without their top five scorers in a road win over North Alabama on February 11th. Tory Rice and Otis Harvey missed the game with injuries, while McGee, Tristan Moore and Johnny Rucker were suspended for violating team rules.

Over the past three games, the MC defense has seen an improvement, holding opponents to just 38% shooting from the field, including UNA and UAH being held below 40%. Teams are shooting just 30% from the three-point line over that stretch, but they are outrebounding MC by 4.5 boards per game with the loss of Rice in the paint.

Antonio Johnson (15.0 ppg) is leading the team in scoring over the past three games, including tallying a career-high 24 points in the victory over the Lions. Mack (14.3) and Haynes (12.0) are also scoring in double-figures in the last three.

The Hawks are led by first-year head coach Tyler Murray, who has the team tied for 8th in the GSC standings. Shorter has lost four straight games, putting their postseason chances in jeopardy with the GSC Tournament accepting the top eight teams in the league.

Shorter lost at Delta State on Thursday night (86-71), falling behind by 15 at the break and trailing the entire 40 minutes. Phil Taylor (25.6 ppg), who leads the GSC and ranks 2nd in the country in scoring, put up just 14 points, going 3-of-10 from the floor.

Taylor leads the team in scoring and assists (4.0) and is 228-of-279 (82%) from the free throw line this season, breaking leauge records for makes and attempts in a single season.

Chris Daniels (13.1 ppg / 7.6 rpg) leads the team in rebounding, while Trevor McDade (14.2 ppg), Amonte Potter (11.3 ppg) and Alijah Bennett (10.4 ppg) all score in double-figures for the Hawks. Cole Birchfield (8.0 ppg) is shooting 41% from the three-point line.