The No. 12 Lions will advance to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at No. 8 Delta State this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Cleveland, Miss.

After losing to the Statesmen in overtime earlier this season, the Lions are ready to learn from their mistakes and face them again.

“We’ve got to continue to execute as best we can and take that lesson and finish the game,” said Lee Chapple, Lions quarterback and 2011 Harlon Hill Trophy finalist.

Saturday’s game will be the 11th time the Lions and Statesmen have faced off in the last six years. The Lions have won seven of those 11 meetings. The Statesmen defeated the Lions 47-24 in the playoffs last year.

This year’s game will also be matchup of two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists. The Statesmen’s quarterback Micah Davis and the Lions’ own Lee Chapple are both contenders.

“It’s not an individual award; it’s definitely a team award in my eyes,” Chapple said.

As for Saturday’s game, Chapple believes the Lions will be able to bounce back from the Oct. 13 loss.

“This team knows what it has to do, and it has to come out on Saturday and play (at its) peak performance,” Chapple said.

In the last game, the Lions were leading 24-14 with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter. Chapple threw a pass that was picked off by the Statesmen’s Anthony Daniels, who ran the ball 34 yards to the UNA 35. The following drive resulted in a touchdown, closing the gap to a 24-21 lead for the Lions.

The next drive was unsuccessful for the Lions, and Michael Schuster punted to the DSU 1. The Statesmen responded with what Lions linebacker Tommie Westbrook said is known as “the drive” in the locker room.

After making it 89 yards down the field, the Statesmen’s Matt Dean tied the game with a 27-yard field goal, forcing overtime. In overtime, the Lions’ Nathan O’Jibway missed a 31-yard field goal. When the Statesmen got possession of the ball, Brant Botill ran four yards for a touchdown, giving the Statesmen a winning score of 30-24.

“We played a good game, but we didn’t play up to our potential,” said Jamie Dixon, an offensive lineman for the Lions.

After the heartbreaking overtime loss, the Lions are ready to prove themselves at Delta State this Saturday.

“It’s win or go home,” said Tommie Westbrook. “I really doubt that if we’re in a given situation again that the same result will come out. We’re going hard and we’re gonna give it all.”