DOVER, Del. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team makes its final trip to the New England states Saturday for an evening matchup at Delaware State.
 
The Gamecocks (4-3) and Hornets (2-7) square off at 4:30 p.m. CT at DSU's Memorial Hall in the third meeting between the two programs. JSU is in search of its first win against the MEAC opponent, dropping back-to-back matchups during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
 
Jacksonville State is riding a four-game winning streak going into the weekend's contest. Since their Nov. 20 trip to Cacun, Mexico for the Cancun Challenge, the Gamecocks have outscored opponents 344-257 with their smallest margin of victory, 83-78 over North Florida, coming in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge's Mayan Division on Nov. 21.
 
Senior forward Jason Burnell continues to be the workhorse for the Gamecocks, leading the team in points scored (95), rebounds (54) and assists (27). His .500 field-goal percentage is second to only Christian Cunningham – Jacksonville State's field-goal percentage leader the past three seasons – who paces the squad with a .630 clip. Burnell has scored 60 of the Gamecocks' 344 points over the past four games.
 
Cunningham is scheduled to play the 100th game and 80th start of his career Saturday night. Only Malcolm Drumwright (2014-18, 125 games) and Darion Rackley (2011-15, 109 games) have logged more career games than Cunningham over the past five seasons. Drumwright is the program's Division I leader for games played and games started (104). There are 24 regular-season games remaining on the 2018-19 slate.
 
Delaware comes into the game having won two of its last five games, coming against Division III opponents Cairn University on Monday and the College of St. Elizabeth on Nov. 19. The Hornets outscored the D-3's 182-113 but have yet to come away with a win against a Division I team.
 
Two Hornets are currently averaging double-figures each game. Saleik Edwards, who has started all nine games this season, is averaging 11.9 points per contest, while Kevin Larkin, who has seen action in five games and started two, is averaging 15.4 points per game. Larkin scored a whopping 40 points and pulled down 11 rebounds on Monday during DSU's 102-66 win over Cairn.
 
Saturday's game in Delaware opens a three-game road stint for the Gamecocks. JSU travels to Wichita State on Dec. 12 and wraps up the away series Dec. 15 at Evansville. Jacksonville State returns home Tuesday, Dec. 18 to take on North Alabama at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The game will be the first at The Pete since hosting Belmont on Feb. 22, 2018 before the March 19 tornados ripped the roof from the facility. Men's Basketball - Game 8
Jacksonville State (4-3, 0-0 OVC) at Delaware State (2-7, 0-0 Mid-Eastern)
December 8, 2018 | 4:30 p.m. CT
Dover, Del. | Memorial Hall (1,800)

SERIES HISTORY
Last Meeting: Dec. 5, 2005 @ JSU (L, 73-62)
All-Time Series Record: DSU leads series 2-0

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