Men's Basketball

Tigers play Choctaws in 1^st Round
February 26, 2007

Courtsey Occidental College Sports Information

The Occidental men's basketball team will face the Mississippi College Choctaws in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs on the Choctaws' home court in Clinton, Miss., on Friday, March 2 at 6pm PST. 

After losing its season opener, Mississippi College (25-2) won 17 straight before falling 64-62 to LeTourneau (Texas) Feb. 1.  The Choctaws, ranked No. 5 nationally by D3Hoops.com, won their sixth American Southwest Conference Championship in 10 years with a 77-64 win over Hardin-Simmons University Feb. 24.  

The Choctaws lead NCAA Division III in points allowed (55.9 pg) and are captained by senior point guard D.J. Jones, who averages 14.3 ppg and 2.3 assists. 

Occidental clinched the SCIAC championship and its third trip to the NCAA tourney in five years last Thursday with a thrilling, last-second double overtime victory at Whittier, 63-61.   The No. 19-ranked Tigers finished conference play with a 12-2 record, 19-5 overall.

The winner of Friday's first-round game will move on to play the winner of the earlier contest between at-large selections Maryville College (Tenn.) and No. 25 Mary Hardin-Baylor. 

For more information, including printable tournament brackets, log on to ncaasports.com.  For more information on Occidental College contact Andy Holmes, holmesa@oxy.edu.