CLINTON, Miss. --- Despite leading for nearly 28 minutes of the game, the Mississippi College men's basketball team fell to West Alabama, 61-54, on Saturday night in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Choctaws (3-7, 0-6 GSC) scored the game's first four points on a jumper by senior DeOndre Haynes and an alley-oop dunk between the two junior McComb High standouts, Antonio Johnson and Stacey Mack.
- MC would push their lead out to as many as 10 points when sophomore Xavion Dillon threw down a jam on an assist from Haynes to make the score 21-11 with 7:22 remaining in the first 20 minutes.
- The Tigers (8-4, 3-3 GSC) would close the half on a 5-0 run to cut MC's halftime lead to 29-28.
- In the second half, West Alabama would take their first lead of the night with 12:23 remaining when Sean Cranney knocked down a jumper to make the score 40-39.
- The game would go back and forth until the 7:47 mark when UWA took the lead for good on a three-pointer by Johnny Stallworth to make the score 46-45.
- The Choctaws would cut the score down to one on a couple occasions, including when Johnson stole an inbounds pass and Dillon finished and was fouled to make the score 55-54 with 1:41 remaining.
- However, the Tigers would close the game on a 6-0 run to grab their third GSC win of the season.

KEY STATS
- Both teams shot below 40% from the field on the night, while the Tigers were able to go 6-of-15 (40%) from the three-point line and MC was just 3-of-13 (23%).
- Both teams went 13-of-18 (72%) from the free throw line, while each team had five blocks and 26 points in the paint.
- Johnson led the Choctaws with 15 points and four assists, going 3-of-6 from long range.
- Dillon and Mack also scored in double-figures with 10 points apiece, while Dillon and McCall each had a team-high two blocked shots.
- Freshman Brandon Boston tallied a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with eight points on the night.
- Jahmal Lane led the Tigers with 21 points and eight rebounds, going 11-of-13 from the free throw line.
- Stallworth was also in double-figures with 14 points.

GAME NOTES
- Junior Stacey Mack scored his 500th career point on the night, putting up 100 points in each of his first three seasons with the Choctaws.
- Junior Antonio Johnson's three-pointer with 15:23 remaining in the first half gave MC their 492nd straight contest with a long ball, dating back to March 5, 1998.
- The Choctaws and the Tigers played their 64th game all-time on Saturday with MC how holding a 33-31 edge in the series. Over the last two seasons, each team has enjoyed a sweep over ther rival.

NEXT UP
- The Choctaws will be back at home Monday night as they will host West Georgia at 7:30 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum.
 

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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.