Men's Basketball | 12/8/2021 3:02:00 PM

ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State University men's basketball program faces another stiff test to begin its home schedule as the defending Southland Men's Basketball Champion Nicholls Colonels invade the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex for the programs' first meeting in 32 years.

What You Need to Know 
 

• Time and Date: Thursday, December 9 (6 p.m.)

 

• Video: https://youtu.be/elEaRkDV_yk

 

• Audio: http://www.gwoodlive.com/ (Lee Hall & Joshua Davis)

 

• Live Stats: N/A

 

• Tickets: https://www.impacttickets.com/

 

• Records: Mississippi Valley State (0-6, 0-0 SWAC) | Nicholls (5-3, 0-0 Southland)

 

• Location: Itta Bena, Mississippi – R.W. Harrison HPER Complex

 

• Series History: Tied 3-3

 

• Last Meeting: February 8, 1989 | Mississippi Valley State 87, Nicholls 74 | David R. Stopher Gymnasium (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

 

• Winning Streak: Mississippi Valley State (W1) | Nicholls' Last Win: January 5, 1989 (63-48)

 
Mississippi Valley State Overview
 
The Delta Devils are one of the upper-echelon teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference regarding offensive rebounds per game (10.83), turnovers forced (15.83), and turnover margin (0.5), ranking top-five leaguewide in each category.
 
Robert Carpenter continues to be the top scoring option for Head Coach Lindsey Hunter, dropping at least 11 points in each appearance while averaging 16.2 points per contest, trailing only MJ Randolph of Florida A&M (17.3) in the SWAC. The Pearl River Community College transfer is also second in the conference for free-throw percentage at 88.9% (40th in NCAA), fourth in three-pointers a night (2.20), fifth for offensive rebounds per ballgame (2.40), and sixth regarding field-goal percentage (31.4%). He also is tops on the squad for both rebounds (27) and blocks (4) despite playing one less game.
 
Caleb Hunter is the only other player in double-figures scoring-wise, posting 11.3 points a night on the back of the sixth-highest three-point rate in the league (2.00).
 
Elijah Davis has been running the point since arriving on the scene in Itta Bena earlier this summer, placing second in the SWAC with 4.2 assists per game (25 total), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.39) and logging a team-high nine steals while banking the second-most minutes in the conference per outing (34:43).

Scouting The Opponent: Nicholls Colonels

The Red and Gray come into the matchup looking like the league favorite once again, knocking off Northern Iowa (62-58) and Cal Poly (75-72) on the road with its three losses coming to Big 12 foes Baylor (89-60) and TCU (63-50) plus a 7-1 Utah Valley team that is fresh off a 72-65 upset of 12th-ranked BYU.

Thursday's game with be a clash of strengths as the Colonels are also a top-notch turnover machine, placing eighth in the country with a 6.9 turnover margin while forcing the 14th-most turnovers (18.62) per contest.

Nicholls landed two student-athletes on the Preseason All-Southland First Team in 2020-21 SLC Newcomer of the Year Ty Gordon and Ryghe Lyons.

Shutting down Gordon will most likely be priority number one for the MVSU coaching staff as he is top-50 nationally in steals per game (2.12), tied with teammate Devante Carter, as well as second in the conference for both points (17.0) and three-pointers (2.25) per game while converting nearly 50% of his opportunities from the field (56-for-116, 48.3%).

Emmanuel Little is the rebounder of the group, hauling down seven boards a night while both Devante Carter and Latrell Jones are contributing 11.3 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.

Lyons has been a man amongst boys down low, swatting away 14 blocks in eight contests for an average of 1.75, both marks are good for second leaguewide.

Follow the Delta Devils and Devilettes on Facebook (Mississippi Valley State Athletics), Twitter (@MVSUDevilSports) and Instagram (@MVSUDevilSports).