BROWNWOOD, TX - Senior Ken Black led the Choctaws with 26 points and eight rebounds as MC held off a late charge from Howard Payne University to win 73-68 in the Brownwood Coliseum.

Black scored 16 points in the first half as the Choctaws held a 36-27 lead going into the intermission.  MC extended the lead to as many as 20 points with 7:10 remaining as they led 63-43.

Howard Payne would storm back and close the gap to just four points with 2:26 remaining at 66-62.  Junior Greg Pulliam made 6-7 free throws in the final minutes to preserve the Choctaws' win.  Pulliam finished the game with 13 points.

The Choctaws shot 53% (10-19) in the second half, but turned the ball over 30 times in the game as they held on to win.  Junior Kendre' Smith was also in double-figures with 11 points.

ASC West Division Preseason Player of the Year Brandon Irwin never got going for the Yellow Jackets, only scoring eight points.  The junior is averaging 20.8 points per game this season.

The Yellow Jackets were led by freshman Donovan Gardner with 17 points, while Henry Valladares added 10.

The Choctaws will return home to face Concordia Texas on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the "Golden Dome".

Mississippi College vs Howard Payne Univers
12/04/10 3:00 p.m. at Brownwood, TX / Brownwood Coliseum
At Brownwood, TX / Brownwood Coliseum
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 73, HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERS 68
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE (4-2, 3-1 ASC)
Ken Black 11-13 4-6 26; Greg Pulliam 2-7 9-11 13; Kendre' Smith 3-3 5-6 11;
Marlon Ester 3-6 0-0 9; Cameron Bounds 2-3 1-2 5; Pate Shackelford 1-3 1-3
3; Chad Jones 0-3 3-6 3; Kelvin Lester 1-4 1-2 3; Joey Tisdale 0-1 0-0 0;
Josh Lancaster 0-0 0-0 0; Rodney Brumfield 0-1 0-0 0; Xavier Ruth 0-2 0-0 0;
Pierre Hadley 0-3 0-0 0; E.C. Williams 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 23-52 24-36 73.
HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERS (3-5, 2-2 ASC)
Donovan Gardner 5-15 4-6 17; Henry Valladares 3-7 2-6 10; Joshua Dada 4-8
1-2 9; Kanyon Payne 2-3 4-9 8; Brandon Irwin 2-12 3-4 8; Michael Thompson
2-5 1-2 5; Brit Campbell 2-5 0-0 5; Quentin Calloway 1-3 0-0 3; Zane Smith
1-1 1-2 3; John Bryant 0-3 0-0 0; Rashad Deal 0-3 0-0 0; Ross Whittet 0-0
0-0 0; Joshua Clayton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-65 16-31 68.
Mississippi College...........   36   37  -   73
Howard Payne Univers..........   27   41  -   68
3-point goals--Mississippi College 3-11 (Marlon Ester 3-5; Pate Shackelford
0-2; Xavier Ruth 0-1; E.C. Williams 0-3), Howard Payne Univers 8-20 (Donovan
Gardner 3-5; Henry Valladares 2-3; Brandon Irwin 1-5; Quentin Calloway 1-2;
Brit Campbell 1-2; John Bryant 0-1; Michael Thompson 0-2). Fouled
out--Mississippi College-None, Howard Payne Univers-Joshua Dada.
Rebounds--Mississippi College 49 (Ken Black 8), Howard Payne Univers 38
(Donovan Gardner 6). Assists--Mississippi College 15 (E.C. Williams 3;
Kendre' Smith 3), Howard Payne Univers 10 (Quentin Calloway 2; Brandon Irwin
2; Henry Valladares 2). Total fouls--Mississippi College 21, Howard Payne
Univers 25. Technical fouls--Mississippi College-None, Howard Payne
Univers-Joshua Dada. A-630