TAMPA, Fla. – Joe McCray scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Delta State Statesmen to an 88-76 win over Eckerd College on Monday in the first game of the University of Tampa Classic.
McCray (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Univ. of Nebraska) was 8-of-16 from the field – including 4-of-10 from the 3-point arc – as Delta State (7-3) won posted its second consecutive win and its fifth victory in the Statesmen's last six games.
The Statesmen seized control of the game midway through the first half thanks to a 14-0 run between the 13:22 and 8:16 marks of the period, and did not relinquish their lead for the remainder of the contest.
Eckerd College (5-3) would cut Delta State's lead to seven points twice before halftime but were unable to get any closer as the Statesmen outscored the Tritons 12-2 over the last 4:25 of the first half.
The Statesmen shot 42 percent from the floor (14-of-33) in the first half, and were 27-of-63 (43 percent) for the game.
McCray's 23 points led four Statesmen players in double-figures Monday. Roderick Ollie (Indianola, Miss./UAB) scored 16 points and registered team-highs of three blocked shots and three steals. Chad Akins (Madison, Miss./Madison Central HS) scored 15 points and handed out a team-high six assists.
Eric Spencer (Marion, Ark./Arkansas-Fort Smith) netted 11 points for Delta State, marking the fifth consecutive game in which he has scored in double-figures.
Dmitry Pirshin (Moscow, Russia/Gulf Coast CC) came off the bench and scored six points and grabbed a team-best six rebounds for Delta State. Jeremie Davis (Arcadia, La./Univ. of New Orleans) added eight points off the bench.
Wayne Sears came off Eckerd College's bench and scored 18 points to lead the Tritons.
Delta State led by as many as 23 points during the second half. A 10-0 Eckerd College run between the 11:19 and 7:28 junctures in the second half cut the Statesmen lead in half at 67-57, but the Tritons were unable to cut Delta State's lead to single-digits after halftime.
Delta State returns to action Tuesday when the Statesmen face the tournament-hosting Tampa Spartans at 7:30 p.m. EST. Following that game, the Statesmen will be off until after New Year's, when they travel to Concordia-Selma on Jan. 5.
