CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team opens up a four-game road swing on Thursday night when they travel to Pensacola, Fla. to face West Florida. Tip-off at the UWF Field House is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Mississippi College (4-9, 1-8 GSC) at West Florida (9-5, 4-5 GSC)
Location: Pensacola, Fla.  |  UWF Field House
Time: 7:30 p.m.
 

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THE SERIES
This will be the 9th all-time meeting between the two schools with both picking up four wins. Since re-joining the Gulf South Conference in 2014-15, the Choctaws are 3-1, including winning both contests in Pensacola. Last season, the Choctaws won 84-82 at UWF as Tristan Moore scored 20 points with seven assists.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE INFORMATION
Head Coach: Don Lofton  |  201-129 (.609), 13th Year at MC

SEASON STATS

Leading Scorer: Antonio Johnson (5'10, 165, Jr.) - 13.8 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Stacey Mack (6'7, 229, Jr.) - 8.8 rpg
Leading Assists: DeOndre Haynes (6'3, 180, Sr.) - 3.9 apg

LAST GAME: The Choctaws dropped a heartbreaker to North Alabama on Saturday, falling 60-57 on a three-pointer by Dimario Jackson in the final seconds. Both teams shot below 40% in the contest, but junior Stacey Mack scored 17 points with 13 rebounds in the game.
 

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WEST FLORIDA INFORMATION
Head Coach: Jeff Burkhamer  |  16-24 (.400) - 2nd Year

SEASON STATS

Leading Scorer: Austin Somerfield (6'6, 220, Sr.) - 14.8 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Austin Somerfield (6'6, 220, Sr.) - 7.2 rpg
Leading Assists: Rashaan Benson (6'0, 180, So.) - 5.0 apg

LAST GAME: The Argos picked up their second straight win with a 97-89 home victory over West Georgia on Saturday afternoon. UWF used a 27-0 run in the second half to overcome a double-figure deficit and improve to 4-5 in GSC play. Marvin Jones led the team with 26 points, while Austin Somerfield had 23 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
 

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GAME NOTES
- The Choctaws are led by 13th-year head coach Don Lofton, who earned his 200th career victory on December 3rd in an 83-65 win over Selma.
- MC dropped a heartbreaker in their last game, falling 60-57 to North Alabama on a three-pointer in the final seconds. The Choctaws erased a 10-point second half deficit to grab a late lead, but the Lions held off the charge for the victory. Junior Stacey Mack led the Choctaws with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
- The Choctaws are coming off a four-game homestand that saw them play four tight games in A.E. Wood Coliseum, going 1-3. Mack averaged 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest, including scoring 22 with 16 boards in the win over West Georgia.
- Johnson (13.8 ppg) is the team's leading scorer this season, shooting 42% from the three-point line and 37-of-43 (86%) from the free throw line. Senior DeOndre Haynes (12.2 ppg) ranks in the top 10 in the league in assists (3.9) and steals (3.7) per game.
- The Choctaws have hit the glass hard over the last four games, outrebounding their opponents by an averaged of 9.0 boards per contest. In the win over West Georgia, MC grabbed 16 more rebounds than thee Wolves.
- The Argos have won two straight and 4-of-5 in 2017 with the only loss coming on the road at Lee, 66-64. They have played several close games this season, going into overtime three times and seeing each of their last four games be decided by 10 points or less.
- Austin Somerfield (14.8 ppg) is the team's leading scorer, shooting 48% from the field and 69-of-90 (77%) from the free throw line. Deangelo Legrier (11.9 ppg), Rashaan Benson (11.4 ppg) and Jason Laatsch (11.1 ppg) are all averaging in double-figures.
- The Argos have five players averaging 24 minutes per game or more and three averaging more than 31. As a team, they are shooting 43% from the field and 71% from the free throw line. UWF is only shooting 31% from the three-point line this season.
 

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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.