STATESMEN TRAVEL LEADS TO CATAWBA FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON GAME

PETERSBURG, Va., (Dec. 4, 2015) – The long road journey for the Richard Bland College men's basketball team comes to a close on Saturday, when the Statesmen travel to Catawba Valley Community College for the fourth Region X Conference game of the season.

Richard Bland (5-5, 2-1 Region X) has played eight road games in a season that is already one-third complete. The Statesmen will look to rebound from a tough 94-93 loss at Pitt Community College on Wednesday night and head into the final three games of the first semester – all played at Statesman Hall – with momentum.

RECORDS: Richard Bland enters Wednesday's game with a 5-5, 2-1 Region X record … Catawba Valley, based in Hickory, North Carolina, is 6-3, 1-0, and lost to Spartanburg Methodist, 87-73, on Wednesday evening.

LAST SEASON VS. CATAWBA VALLEY: Richard Bland won both games last season, defeating the Red Hawks in Petersburg on Dec. 6 (90-70) and in Hickory on Jan. 17 (81-76) … Since bringing back basketball in the 2013-14 season after a 40-year hiatus, Richard Bland is 4-0 against Catawba.

FOUR IN DOUBLE FIGURES: With the offensive output the last two games against Vance-Granville and Pitt, four Statesmen players are now averaging in double figures, led by sophomore forwards Devin Smith (15.8 ppg) and Troy Gibson  (14.6 ppg), and freshman guards Deandre Clark (12.2 ppg) and Petersburg's Gevon Arrington (10.8 ppg).

SOPHOMORE LEADERSHIP: Gibson, the lone returner from last year's championship team, has scored in double figures in nine of ten games this season, including a career-best 25 points against Harcum College ... Against Pitt C.C., Smith notched a career-best 24 points, his third double figures scoring effort in four games since making his debut against Lenoir C.C. on Nov. 18.

OFF THE BOARDS: Freshman Jaquan Wooten leads the Statesmen in rebounding (9.4 rpg), which is 13^th best in NJCAA Division II in the latest NJCAA statistics, which are updated on a regular basis … Wooten has corralled 74 defensive boards this season, which is 4^th best in the nation. … The freshman has had double figures in rebounding in six of ten games, including 71 boards in his last seven games (10.2 rpg).

REBOUNDING AS A TEAM: Against Lenoir Community College on Nov. 18, the Statesmen hauled in 61 rebounds, tying a mark of 61 set against Cape Fear Community College last January 7 … Only one other time in Moore's time as coach has the team had 60 or more rebounds in a game – 60 versus Tidewater Community College on Dec. 13, 2013.

SHOCK BLOCKERS: With an average of 5.7 blocks per game, RBC ranks 10th best in the country in NJCAA Division II.

LEADER OF THE BLOCK: Wooten leads the Statesmen in blocks with 31 (3.1 bpg), which is 2^nd best in NJCAA Division II … He had a season high seven blocks against Pitt.

VIRGINIA STRONG: Ten of the players on the RBC roster hail from Virginia.

ABOUT THE RED HAWKS: Catawba Valley is 4-1 at home and has scored 80 or more points in each of those home victories … The team averages 83.4 points a game, shoots 45 percent from the floor and an effective 35 percent from 3-point distance … The team is led in scoring by guard Jakishe Page (12.4 ppg) and swing Cornelius Johnson (10.2 ppg) …  six in double figures, averaging 9.7 points per game … Guard Mike Black tops the team in rebounding (5.1 rpg) … Forward Kenny Lemon is the most effective shooter on the team, connecting on 57 percent of his shots.

WHAT'S NEXT: Following Saturday afternoon's game, Richard Bland will host Guilford Technical Community College on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. ... The contest serves as RBC's annual Wounded Warrior Project Game … Catawba next hosts Caldwell Community College on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.