CLEVELAND – Shameka Russell scored a career-high 18 points Monday to lead the No. 4 Delta State Lady Statesmen to a 68-48 win over North Alabama at Sillers Coliseum.

Russell (Waynesboro, Miss./Southeastern Louisiana) was 4-of-6 from the field and made both 3-pointers she attempted as the Lady Statesmen improved to 5-0 on the season.

Veronica Walker (Indianola, Miss./Gentry HS) registered a double-double for the Lady Statesmen, scoring 10 points and hauling in a game-high 14 rebounds.

Walker's total of 14 rebounds was one of two personal records the sophomore set in the game. Walker also blocked eight shots, which is one shy of the Delta State school record.

Moe Bell (Madison, Miss./Madison-Ridgeland Academy) scored 15 points for the Lady Statesmen. Bell was 5-of-11 from the 3-point circle during the game.

Lacy Lewis scored 12 points to lead North Alabama (3-6).

Bug Cooper (Indianola, Miss./Gentry HS) handed out 10 assists for Delta State in addition to scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds. Cooper has tallied 22 assists over the previous two games.

The Lady Statesmen wasted little time seizing control of the game as they jumped out to an 11-2 in the first five minutes of the contest.

North Alabama was able to regroup before the Lady Statesmen got too far ahead, using a 6-2 run over the next two minutes to pull to within five points. Kierra McCleary's 3-pointer with 14:08 remaining cut the Delta State lead to 13-8.

In turn, the Lady Statesmen embarked on a 12-2 run of their own over the following six minutes. Bell's three-pointer at the 8:05 mark gave the Lady Statesmen their first 14-point lead of the half at 25-11. Delta State led by 14 points three different times before halftime, and took a 36-23 lead into the locker room.

The Lions had no answer for Bell in the first half, as she was 5-of-7 from behind the 3-point arc during the first 20 minutes.

Delta State shot 46 percent (13-of-28) from the field during the first half, while holding North Alabama to 7-of-24 shooting (29 percent).

The Lions controlled the tempo of the game early in the second half, cutting the Delta State lead to 40-31 with a jumper from Brianna Abrams with 15:31 remaining in the game.

The nine-point deficit was as close as North Alabama would get, however, as the Lady Statesmen reeled off nine unanswered points over the next three minutes to establish a comfortable 18-point lead.

For the game, the Lady Statesmen shot 43 percent (24-of-56) from the field, while the Lions were held to 14-of-53 shooting (26 percent).

The win was the 39th consecutive triumph for the Lady Statesmen on their home floor dating back to 2007.

The Lady Statesmen return to action Thursday when they travel to West Georgia. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST.