CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team opens a four-game homestand on Saturday when they host West Alabama. Tip-off for the Gulf South Conference contest is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: West Alabama (7-4, 2-3 GSC) at Mississippi College (3-6, 0-5 GSC)
Location: Clinton, Miss.  |  A.E. Wood Coliseum
Time: 4:00 p.m.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE INFORMATION
Head Coach: Don Lofton  |  200-126 (.613), 13th Year at MC

SEASON STATS

Leading Scorer: Xavion Dillon (6'7, 220, So.) - 15.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Xavion Dillon (6'7, 220, So.) - 10.3 rpg
Leading Assists: DeOndre Haynes  (6'3, 180, Sr.) - 4.3 apg

LAST GAME: The Choctaws traveled to Jackson, Tenn. on January 2nd, dropping a road GSC contest to Union, 91-79. After trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, MC cut the Bulldog lead down to one possession on several occasions, but Union was able to pull away late for the victory. Sophomore Davy Fisher led the Choctaws with a career-high 15 points, going 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
 

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WEST ALABAMA INFORMATION
Head Coach: Allen Sharpe  |  41-32 (.561), 3rd Year at UWA

SEASON STATS

Leading Scorer: Gavin Robinson (6'7, 195, Jr.) - 15.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Gavin Robinson (6'7, 195, Jr.) - 9.9 rpg
Leading Assists: Sean Cranney (6'2, 175, Fr.) - 4.6 apg

LAST GAME: The Tigers won their second straight GSC contest with a 71-60 victory over Lee University in Livingston on January 2nd. UWA held the Flames to 39% shooting from the field and just 7-of-24 from the three-point line as Gavin Robinson scored a team-high 19 points with eight rebounds.
 

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GAME NOTES
- This will be the 64th all-time meeting between the two schools with MC holding a 33-30 edge in the series. Since the Choctaws re-joined the GSC in 2014-15, the teams have traded season sweeps with MC winning both meetings last season. Tory Rice scored 20 points with 11 rebounds as the Choctaws outscored UWA 44-26 in the second half to grab the 69-57 win in Clinton.
- 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.
- Last time out, the Choctaws cut a 12-point second half lead down to just two, but Union pulled away late for a 91-79 win in Jackson, Tenn. on Monday night. Sophomore Davy Fisher scored a career-high 15 points, while junior Antonio Johnson put up 13, going 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
- Sophomore Xavion Dillon (15.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg) is the team's leading scorer and rebounder, joining the team for the December 29th game against William Carey. Johnson (13.9 ppg) ranks 3rd in the GSC in three-pointers made per game (3.0).
- Senior DeOndre Haynes (12.9 ppg) leads the team and ranks 7th in the GSC in assists per game (4.3 apg). Junior Stacey Mack (10.0 ppg) is also scoring in double-figures and is just six points away from the 500 career points for the Choctaws.
- The Tigers are led by third-year head coach Allen Sharpe, who is 41-32 in his career at UWA and has over 300 wins in 15 years as a head coach. Winners of three straight, the Tigers are 3-3 away from Livingston this season.
- West Alabama leads the GSC in scoring defense (63.6 ppg), allowing nearly six points fewer than any other team in the league. However, they are scoring just 65.4 points per game, which ranks 12th in the conference, eight points behind MC.
- Junior Gavin Robinson (15.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding and is shooting 50% from the field. Senior Jahmal Lane (14.4 ppg) is also scoring in double-figures and ranks second on the team in rebounding (7.5 rpg). Sophomore Jake Jobling (9.2 ppg) is the team's leading three-point shooter (43%), making more than half the team's long balls this season (26).
 

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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.