CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team will take their talents to Tennessee and Georgia this week as they face Lee and Shorter in a pair of important Gulf South Conference road contests.

The Choctaws (7-8, 4-6 GSC) will battle the Flames (11-6, 6-4 GSC) on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (Central) before heading to face the Hawks (2-15, 2-7 GSC) on Monday at 5:00 p.m. (Central).

MC was originally scheduled to play Shorter on Thursday night, but the games were moved to Monday due to icy conditions in the Jackson-metro area.
 

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THE SERIES

This will be the 7th all-time meeting between MC and Lee with the series tied 3-3. The home teams are 2-1 over the six games with the Choctaws' picking up a win in Cleveland on January 11, 2016 (65-57). Last year, the Flames grabbed a 72-55 home win over MC, holding the Choctaws to just 27% shooting from the floor.

This will also be the 7th all-time meeting between MC and Shorter with the Hawks winning all six previous meetings. They are one of just two teams (Christian Brothers) that the Choctaws have yet to defeat since moving back to Division II prior to the 2014-15 academic year. While the series record is lopsided, all six games have been decided by 10 points or less.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE (7-8, 4-6 GSC)
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Choctaws, led by 14th-year head coach Don Lofton, are coming off a tough loss to Montevallo on Monday night where they shot just 36% from the floor and made more three-pointers (12) than two-point shots (9). In the 64-60 loss, MC did go on a 7-0 run in the final minutes to tie the game, but the Falcons scored the final four points to get the road GSC victory.

Junior Donovan Ham (14.6 ppg) scored a team-high 16 points against Montevallo and also led the way with nine rebounds. The Atlanta native is shooting 49% from the field and 42% from the three-point line. Senior Otis Harvey (5.7 ppg) hit four three-pointers, including the game-tying blast in the final minutes against Montevallo.

Senior Antonio Johnson (12.0 ppg) is on pace to pass the 100 assist mark this season, averaging 4.8 helpers per game with a team-high 18 steals. Sophomore Brandon Boston (11.2 ppg) has had to carry the load in the paint and leads the team with 6.6 boards per contest.
 

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LEE (11-6, 6-4 GSC)
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Flames, led by 2nd-year head coach Bubba Smith, are currently 4th in the GSC standings following a 62-53 home win over Delta State on Thursday night. Colton Blevins (9.8 ppg) scored a team-high 20 points, while Parker Suedekum (8.9 ppg) led the way with eight assists.

Ryan Montgomery (10.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads Lee in scoring and rebounding and is the only players averaing in double-figures this season. The balanced attack features 10 players to average at least 5.0 points per contest and eight players with at least one assist per game.

The Flames are shooting 49% from the field as a team and holding opponents to just 39%. They rank 2nd in the league in shooting and lead the league in field goal percentage defense.
 

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SHORTER (2-15, 2-7 GSC)
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Hawks, led by 1st-year head coach Wade Anderson, have struggled through the 2017-18 season but have wins over West Georgia and West Alabama, two teams that have defeated the Choctaws this season. In their last outing, they shot just 39% from the floor in a 91-70 loss at Lee (Jan. 13). They will host Delta State on Saturday afternoon in Rome, Ga.

Shorter has played with a short bench this season, only having eight players to log minutes, but they boast three players to average 12.5 points per game or more. Amonte Potter (17.3 ppg) is the team's leading scorer, while Josh Burnett (16.5 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (6.5) and assists (2.5) per game. TayVaughn Major (12.5 ppg) is also averaging 2.5 helpers per contest.

The Hawks rank 13th in the GSC in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 52% from the field. They are aggressive on the defensive end, however, forcing 277 turnovers and coming away with 7.5 steals. per game. The Hawks are scoring 16.1 points off turnovers per contest.
 

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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.