CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team will welcome #10 Christian Brothers to Clinton on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off at A.E. Wood Coliseum is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
The Choctaws (3-2, 1-0 GSC) and the Bucs (6-0, 1-0 GSC) have met 12 previous times with CBU holding a 7-5 edge in the series. The Bucs are one of just two teams in the Gulf South Conference (Shorter) that MC has yet to defeat since moving back to Division II and the GSC. CBU is 6-0 against MC, sweeping the season series each of the last three years.
The Choctaws are led by 14th-year head coach
Don Lofton, who earned his 200th career victory during the 2016-17 season. MC has won three straight, including a 69-65 win over Union on Thursday night in the conference-opener. Senior
Stacey Mack tallied a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while junior
Xavion Dillon scored a game-high 16 in his season debut.
The Bucs are led by former Choctaw Mike Nienaber, who has won over 300 games in his 19th season at the helm. Nationally-ranked CBU has won their first six games this season, including a 74-61 victory over Delta State on Thursday night when junior Adam Dieball scored 24 points, going 5-of-9 from the three-point line.
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE (3-2, 1-0 GSC)
ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
The Choctaws (82.6 ppg) have the 4th-highest scoring offense in the league and rank 4th in the league in rebounding margin (+4.8). However, MC ranks 14th in scoring defense (81.4 ppg) and opponents are shooting 40% from the three-point line, which also ranks 14th.
Mack (18.4 ppg) is the team's leading scorer, putting up 23 points or more in three games this season. He also became just the 10th player in school history with 500 career rebounds in the victory.
Senior
Antonio Johnson (11.8 ppg) is shooting 50% from the three-point line, ranking 4th in the Gulf South Conference. The McComb native also ranks 7th with 2.6 made three-pointers per game.
Junior Xavion Dillon missed the first four games of the season due to injury, but returned Thursday night to lead all scorers with 16 points in just 16 minutes of action.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS (6-0, 1-0 GSC)
ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
The Bucs are led by two preseason All-GSC selections in Dieball (18.7 ppg) and Jeff Larkin (25.0 ppg). Dieball is the team's leader in assists per game (6.7), while Larkin has a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game.
CBU ranks 2nd in the league in field goal percentage (.501) and leads the conference in three-point shooting (.433). The Bucs also share and take good care of the basketball, posting a team assist/turnover ratio of 1.9.
GAME NOTES
The Choctaws are 421-121 all-time in A.E. Wood Coliseum. Since 1990, MC has had five undefeated seasons at home (1990, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2007).
The team that has owned the rebounding margin has won each of the five games MC has played this season. The Choctaws outboarded Union 50-37 on Thursday night.
The team that has led at halftime has won in each of MC's five games this season, while the Choctaws are 3-0 when outscoring their opponent in the paint.
Senior
Stacey Mack became just the 10th player in school history with 500 rebounds, pulling down 12 boards in Thursday's win over Union. He is the first since Francisco Wilson (1994-98) to reach the mark.
Senior
Antonio Johnson ranks 4th in school history in three-point field goals made (116), 6th in three-point attempts (273) and 11th in three-point percentage (.421).
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.
#MC#
