Delta State Set for Three-Game Road and Home Stretch Against Union, Valdosta State, and West Florida
Weronika Kaczmarska
The Delta State University men’s basketball team will face a busy five-day stretch starting with a road game against Union University on Tuesday. The game, a makeup contest from Jan. 24, will be played in Jackson, Tennessee.
Following the matchup with Union, the Statesmen will return home to Walter Sillers Coliseum for two games. They will host Valdosta State University on Thursday at approximately 7:30 p.m. and West Florida on Saturday at around 4 p.m. All games will be broadcast live on the Statesmen Sports Radio Network and streamed on FloCollege.
Delta State enters the week with an 8-13 record overall and a 5-11 mark in Gulf South Conference play. The team is looking to break a three-game losing streak after falling 86-81 to No. 18 West Alabama last Saturday in Livingston.
Redshirt junior guard Dacory Porter led the team last weekend, averaging 25.5 points over two games. He scored a career-high 32 points against West Alabama. Bryce Clayton contributed 17 points Thursday night, shooting 7-for-15 from the field, while freshman Elisha Puckett scored a career-high 18 off the bench, his first double-digit game since November.
Union enters the week with a 9-12 overall record and is 5-10 in conference play. The Bulldogs recently went 1-1 on a road trip to Montevallo and Auburn Montgomery, with a 71-64 win over the Warhawks on Saturday. Senior forward Terrance Ringo Jr. has posted three consecutive double-doubles and averages 18.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. He had a season-high 17 rebounds against AUM in their last outing.
Valdosta State, currently on a three-game winning streak, holds a 14-8 overall record and is 9-7 in the conference. The Blazers beat Trevecca Nazarene 113-104 in overtime last Saturday. Drew Mills, the team’s leading scorer with 17.3 points per game, has battled foul trouble recently. Junior forward Blaise Wallace has been a consistent performer, registering double-doubles in five straight games and averaging 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. Against the Trojans last Saturday, Wallace scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
West Florida, receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll, boasts an 18-6 record and is 11-5 in the Gulf South Conference. The Argonauts defeated Lee 68-64 on Saturday. With their leading scorer, Anthony Igiede, out since January, junior guard Aric Demings has stepped up, averaging 14 points and leading the team with 92 assists and 35 steals. Junior forward Tim Hall Jr., the team’s top rebounder with 8.1 per game, also averages 10.8 points and has blocked 34 shots this season.
All games will feature live commentary from Michael Gross on the Statesmen Sports Radio Network and will be streamed on FloCollege. The team aims to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
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