LIVINGSTON, Ala. - Before entering the year of 2025, The University of West Alabama Men's Basketball team is set for their final two GSC matchups before the Holiday Break with contests against Delta State slated for Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and Mississippi College on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

West Alabama (6-4, 2-2 GSC) enters this week's play after going 1-1 on the road last week with a one-point victory over Lee and a 13-point loss to Trevecca Nazarene. As for Delta State (6-4, 2-2 GSC) and Mississippi College (6-4, 2-2 GSC), both teams come in off the heels of a win against AUM last week.

Four games into their conference schedule, the Tigers find themselves sitting at .500. UWA's defense has been solid thus far as West Alabama remains the league leader in scoring defense by a wide margin, but the offensive inconsistencies have been their Achilles Heel. Thaddues Williams has been a consistent source of offense for the Tigers as the Point Guard leads the team and ranks 11th in the GSC with 15.9 points per game. When looking at Williams' numbers, the scoring will catch your eye first, but the senior has really excelled at all phases of the game, leading UWA in rebounds with 5.8 boards per game and assists with 2.8 per game all while being a key cog on the defensive end. 

Heading into the matchups against the Statesmen and Choctaws, Williams is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on 52 percent shooting and 42 percent from three in the four conference games that the Tigers have played thus far. West Alabama needs another consistent scorer to emerge and fellow guard Jaylen Lemons fits the bill. Lemons is arguably the best shooter on UWA's roster but he's struggled with his efficiency in the last four games. Despite the recent struggles, the senior is still averaging double-digit points and is bound to get back on track in a pair of games where it's vital that West Alabama finds offensive success.

The Tigers' matchup against Delta State on Thursday will be a rematch of the 2024 GSC Quarterfinals where UWA beat DSU, 90-79, in Pruitt Hall to end the Statesmen's 2023-24 campaign. Delta State's 2023-24 season was a step forward for the program and now this year, they've returned two of their top players in Keithean Brooks and Chris Terrell. The Statesmen are currently averaging 82.5 points per game with Brooks and Terrell leading the charge as the duo is combining to score 40 points a night. Terrell is on pace for an All-GSC caliber year, ranking second in the conference with 21.4 points per game and comes into Thursday's game as the reigning National Player of the week after dropping 42 points against AUM on Saturday.

After a battle with Delta State on Thursday, West Alabama will quickly shift their focus to Mississippi College. The Choctaws' 6-4 record is impressive when you factor in the fact that they were without their most talented player and one of the best scorers in the country, Rashad Bolden, for six of their games. Bolden is an electrifying scorer who can score the ball at all three levels. The 6'0" guard finished second in the country last season with 24.0 points per game and through four games this year, the junior is averaging 24.8 points, including back-to-back 30 point games against Montevallo and AUM in MC's previous two contests. Bolden will without a doubt have the highest usage rate of any player that will enter Pruitt Hall this week as head coach Nick Woodruff and the Tigers put together a gameplan in attempts to slow him down and secure another Gulf South victory.

Tip-off for Thursday's matchup between West Alabama and Delta State is set for 7:00 p.m. at Pruitt Hall while Saturday's contest is slated for 4:00 p.m.