GAME NOTES: Games 1-2 - Lady Statesmen vs. Carson Newman/Lincoln Memorial
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CLEVELAND - The wait is finally over for No. 2 Delta State (0-0, 0-0 GSC), as coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen will officially open the 2010-11 season this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19-20 at the 6th annual Lloyd Clark Classic at Walter Sillers Coliseum.  Delta State will welcome Southern Arkansas, Carson Newman and Lincoln Memorial in for the two day event.

Delta State opens the two-day event with a showdown against South Atlantic Conference power Carson Newman College (0-2) on Friday and close out the weekend with a game against former GSC foe Lincoln Memorial University (0-0) on Saturday. Both games are slated to tipoff at 6 p.m.

In the other games of the weekend, Southern Arkansas plays Lincoln Memorial Friday at 8 p.m., while SAU and CNC play at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The Lady Statesmen will be meeting the Lady Eagles of Carson Newman for the first time, while holding a 6-3 series lead against the Lady Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial.

Coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen enter the season ranked No. 2 in the nation. It's the highest ranking entering a season for DSU in the Rushing Era. The Lady Statesmen opened the 2008-09 campaign No. 4 after going 33-1 in 2007-08. The ranking is due in part to Delta State returning four starters and six letter winners off of last season's 27-4 team.

Senior point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper has led the NCAA in assists each of the last two seasons. Last year, Cooper averaged 8.5 assists per game and as a sophomore totaled 7.8 per game. Her 684 assists rank No. 1 all-time in Gulf South Conference history and the Indianola native needs just 175 points to top the 1,000 point plateau.

Veronica Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior, looks to repeat as the GSC's West Division Player of the Year after averaging a league leading 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Walker is unanimous preseason All-American and an early season favorite for WBCA National Player of the Year.

Coach Sandra Rushing has guided the Lady Statesmen to a 204-47 mark during her eight seasons as head coach, including a remarkable 148-19 in the last five seasons. DSU claimed four-straight GSC championships from 2005-06 to 2008-09. Last season, the Lady Statesmen lost a double-overtime heartbreaker in the GSC championship game. DSU has made six trips to the NCAA Tournament under Rushing, including five consecutive NCAA “Sweet 16” finishes.

Complete game notes and statistics are available at the link above.  Text notes are below. 

LADY STATESMEN OPEN SEASON RANKED NO. 2
Returning four starters and two National Player of the Year candidates, the Lady Statesmen begin the season ranked No. 2 in the Division II Bulletin's Preseason Top 25 Media Poll. Fellow Gulf South Conference rival Arkansas Tech is No. 1.

The Lady Statesmen, who finished last season 27-4 overall, will feature two returning All-Americans in point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper and power forward Veronica Walker. Cooper led the nation in assists last season, while Walker, who was named the GSC West Player of the Year, averaged a double-double with 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds.

Division II Women's Bulletin Preseason PolL TOP 10
1. Arkansas Tech 31-3
2. Delta State 27-4
3. Tusculum (Tenn.) 23-10
4. Holy Family (Pa.) 30-3
5. West Texas A&M 30-4
6. Indianapolis 26-4
7. UC-San Diego 25-5
8. Lander (S.C.) 27-4
9. Alaska-Anchorage 24-5
10. Bentley (Mass.) 19-11

DELTA STATE HOSTING 6th ANNUAL LLOYD CLARK CLASSIC
For the sixth time in her tenure at Delta State, coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen will open the 2010-11 season by hosting the Lloyd Clark Classic. The Llyod Clark Classic is named in honor of legendary former Lady Statesmen head coach Lloyd Clark, who guided the green-and-white to three NCAA Division II National Championships and 11 Gulf South Conference titles during his 19 year tenure. A complete Lloyd Classic Schedule is below.

FRIDAY • Nov. 19, 2010
6 p.m. • Carson Newman vs. Delta State
8 p.m. • Southern Arkansas vs. Lincoln Memorial

SATURDAY • Nov. 20, 2010
4 p.m. • Carson Newman vs. Southern Arkansas
6 p.m. • Lincoln Memorial vs. Delta State

LADY RAILSPLITTERS & LADY STATESMEN RECONNECTING
The Lady Statesmen hold an all-time series advantage of 6-3 in matchups with the Lady Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial. The last time the two teams squared off was in the GSC Tournament in the 2002-2003 season in which LMU took the victory. That loss is the only time Coach Sandra Rushing has ever faced the Rail Splitters.

INSIDE LMU
This season Lincoln Memorial was selected to finish fourth in the South Atlantic Conference. Dayshalee Salaman, a junior guard for the Lady Railsplitters was named to the preseason All-Conference Second Team. LMU finished 1-2 in the exhibition season to start the year, falling to Division I opponents Middle Tennessee State University and Morehead State. Their lone win came over DIII Maryville College to wrap up the exhibition games.

DELTA STATE FACING SAC POWER CARSON NEWMAN
The Lady Statesmen will be squaring off with the Lady Eagles of Carson Newman College for the first time ever on Friday, Nov. 19 in the season opener for Delta State. CNC has year-in and year-out been one of the top program's in the South Atlantic Conference.

WALKER SHOWS POWER VERSUS D1 OPPONENTS
After opening the season with a pair of exhibition games against SEC powers Vanderbilt and Louisiana State, one thing was apparent - Veronica Walker can score on anyone at anytime.

Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior forward, averaged a GSC-leading 20.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds last season and picked up right where she left off against the Commodores with 22 points and eight boards.

Three days laters, the Indianola native didn't put up big points, only six, but cleaned the glass with 10 rebounds.

JOHNSON SHOWS SKILL AT LSU
Senior Wichita State transfer Sheena Johnson showed her skill at getting to the basket, leading the Lady Statesmen with 16 points at Louisiana State on Nov. 8 at the Maravich Assembly Center.

The 5-foot-10 guard from Clinton connected on 7-of-11 shots and grabbed four boards. She also played well at Vanderbilt, scoring six points in her first action for the Lady Statesmen.

BUG ON POINT
Whether it's Division I competition or the best in Division II, Sarita “Bug” Cooper can deliver the rock. In the season-opening exhibition at Vanderbilt, the two-time All-American dished out a game-high eight assists.

The Gulf South Conference's all-time assists leader has led the NCAA in assists each of the past two seasons, including a career high 8.6 assists per game last season

RAY MAKES STATEMENT AT LSU
She might be a freshman, but Aubree Ray certainly didn't play like one against LSU on Nov. 8 at the Maravich Assembly Center. The 6-foot-1 former Hernando High star scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-4 from the free throw line. She also added four rebounds to round out a terrific performance against some of the top talent in the SEC.

WALKER AND COOPER TABBED PRESEASON ALL-GSC
Sarita Cooper and Veronica Walker were named to the Preseason All-GSC West Team. Cooper, last season averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 boards and led NCAA Division II for the second straight season with 8.5 assists per game. Walker averaged a conference best 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game during the 2009-2010 campaign. Walker also led NCAA Division II in field goal percentage at 63.7 percent.

RUSHING FOCUSED ON DELIVERING TITLE TO CLEVELAND
In the last five years, coach Sandra Rushing has guided the Lady Statesmen to a 148-19 (.886) record, four Gulf South Conference championships, two NCAA South Region titles, five-straight NCAA Sweet 16 finishes and back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances, but it's still not enough.

Rushing came to Delta State to do one thing, win a national championship. This year's goal is the same as the last five and the Biloxi native and former Alabama standout will take nothing less.

LAST FIVE UNDER RUSHING
YEAR RECORD SEASON ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2009-2010: 27-4 NCAA Sweet 16 finish
2008-2009: 30-7 GSC champions/NCAA Final Four
2007-2008: 33-1 GSC champions/NCAA Final Four
2006-2007: 28-4 GSC champions/NCAA Sweet 16
2005-2006: 30-3 GSC champions/NCAA Sweet 16

COOPER LOOKING TO CAP CAREER WITH 1,000 ASSISTS
Sarita “Bug” Cooper ranks as one of the all-time great point guards in the history of the Gulf South Conference and Division II basketball. In just three seasons, the Indianola native smashed the GSC career record for assists, a record that took four years to build.

She has led the NCAA in assists the past two seasons and with 684 career assists has her sights set on 1,000 for her career. Don't doubt the 5-foot-6 speedster, she totaled 288 during her sophomore season and a deep run into the NCAA playoffs could propel her past that mark.

WALKER JOINS THE 1,000-POINT CLUB IN JUST TWO SEASONS
Veronica Walker joined an elite group of Lady Statesmen when she became the 31st player in Delta State history to score 1,000 points in her career. Walker, who as a sophomore was named the GSC West Division's Player of the Year, notched her 1,000th point in the second half of the GSC Tournament final against Arkansas Tech.

She has tallied 1,072 points in 68 games, good for a career scoring average of 15.8 points per contest. Walker scored 427 (11.5 ppg) points as a freshman and led the GSC in scoring last season with 675.

DEFENSE NAME OF THE GAME FOR LADY STATESMEN
DSU has historically been a dominant defensive basketball team and coach Sandra Rushing has hung her hat on the ability to stop the opposition. If you look back over Delta State's four-straight Gulf South Conference championship seasons, the Lady Statesmen finished first in the conference in scoring and field goal percentage defense, while finishing no lower than fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense.

Despite winning 27 games and advaning to the NCAA South Region Championship game, the Lady Statesmen got away from “Delta Defense” last season. DSU ranked 12th in scoring defense after ranking no lower than fourth in the previous four seasons.

This season, coach Rushing and her staff have made a commitment to returning the team to the tops of the defensive charts in the GSC and NCAA.

WALKER AND COOPER CANDIDATES FOR WBCA NATIONAL POY
It's rare for one team to feature two players with the ability to earn the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's National Player of the Year Award, but the Lady Statesmen feature just that in point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper and power forward Veronica Walker.

Walker enters the season as one of the nation's top returning scorers, while Cooper has led the NCAA in assists each of the last two years. Both were named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the WBCA last season, while earning All-American spots on Daktronic's and Division II Bulletin's postseason lists.

BELL LOOKING TO ADD TO THREE-POINT RECORD; HAS GSC MARK IN HER SIGHTS
Moe Bell, a 5-foot-11 shooting guard, has already toppled the Delta State record for career three pointers made, career three-point field goal percentage, three pointers in a game and three pointers made in a season.

In three seasons, the Madison native has 217 career three pointers on just 506 attempts. Her 42.9 career three point percentage ranks second all-time in Gulf South Conference history behind Beck Mauck's (UNA) 45.7 percent. Bell's 217 three's also rank seventh all-time.

WALKER'S BLOCK PARTY
Junior power forward Veronica Walker is not just a scoring machine. She's also a game changer in the paint with her ability to block shots. Last season, the 6-foot-1 Indianola native blocked 74 shots, narrowly missing he single season record. With 128 career blocks and two seasons to play, Walker needs just 105 blocks to become the school's career leader. Pam Lockett, who starred for the Lady Statesmen from 1987-90, holds the record with 232.

RUSSELL GIVES LADY STATESMEN SPECIAL WEAPON AT SF
Senior small forward Shameka Russell posesses a special set of skills for a player of her size and speed. At 6-foot-2, the Southeasterm Louisiana transfer can dominate the paint or step outside the arch and knockdown the 20-footer.

Last season, Russell averaged 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The Waynesboro native played in all 31 games and turned in a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds at West Florida (12.13.09). She also scored in double figures in 16 games, including eight of her last 12 games for the Lady Statesmen.

THEY DON'T GO AWAY EASILY
Delta State opponents cannot rely on forcing a Lady Statesmen to foul out of a game too often. Through DSU's last two seasons, only six Lady Statesmen have registered a foul out.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE
It's not always easy to schedule games when you have Delta State written across the front of your jersey in Division II. For the first time in five seasons, coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen will play a full contingent of games.

SANDERS TWINS LOOKING TO PRODUCE
Twins Jasmyne Sanders and Joncyee Sanders enjoyed successful freshman seasons, but this year, coach Rushing is expecting so much more out of the pair.

Jasmyne, a 5-foot-11 power forward, averaged 3.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 26 games as a freshman, scoring a career-high 10 points versus three teams - West Alabama (11/23/09), Montevallo (12/30/09) and Christian Brothers (1/16/10).

Joncyee, a 5-foot-9 guard, blossomed late in the season, earning starts at guard in the postseason. She averaged 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 29 games during her freshman season. She scored a career-high 14 points and pulled down six rebounds in a 69-55 win over Lynn University in the first round of the NCAA South Regional (3.12.10).

HENDERSON RETURNS AFTER SHOULDER SURGERY
Denesha Henderson knows a thing or two about getting up after getting knocked down. The Guy, Ark., native and former barrell racing champion, played all of last season with a bad shoulder. This past summer, the 5-foot-7 speedster underwent surgery on the shoulder and with hard work has returned to the Lady Statesmen rotation at 100 percent. Her ability to defend the opposition's top scoring threat will be needed this season.

REED WANTS THIRD RING IN FINAL SEASON AT DSU
Senior guard and defensive specialist Tamara Reed is looking for a third GSC championship ring this season. The Bay St. Louis native was a key cog in the Lady Statesmen's title runs in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

DELTA STATE WELCOME LADY SHOCKERS TRANSFER
Sheena Johnson is one of two NCAA Division I transfers for the Lady Statesmen this season. The 5-foot-6 senior from Clinton played one season for Jody Adams at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan.

Johnson started 31 games at guard for the Lady Shockers and appeared in 32 total last season. She averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game on the court. Her numbers increased to 9.7 points per game in conference play, while averaging 2.4 assists per game.

Johnson scored a career-high 22 points versus Drake in a 66-63 overtime win on Feb. 5, 2010. She turned in a double-double with 21 points and 11 boards in an 83-78 loss at Evansville (1/28/10).

Prior to joining Wichita State, Johnson played two seasons at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, where she averaged 9.3 points a team-leading 6.3 assists per game as a sophomore.

LADY STATESMEN ADD BROWN FROM ARKANSAS STATE
Jessica Brown, one of the top scorers in Memphis, Tenn., high school basketball history, joined the Lady Statesmen this summer after transferring from Arkansas State.

As a true freshman last season in Jonesboro, Ark., Brown played in three games at Arkansas State for coach Brian Boyer. She averaged 1.3 points and 0.3 rebounds on a team with experienced front court performers.

She was a four-year starter at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, where she finished her career with over 1,600 points and 1,000 rebounds.

POWE AND LACK BRING NEEDED DEPTH FROM JUCO RANKS
Junior college transfers Amber Powe and Jamie Lack have brought much needed depth to the Lady Statesmen. Powe, a 5-foot-8 guard, began her career at Central Florida Community College, while Lack, a 6-foot-3 center, played two seasons at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala.

Powe played two seasons for the College of Central Florida, where she played guard for the Patriots. She was named to the All-Mid Florida Conference Team after averaging 9.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. Also a standout off the court, Powe garnered Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll and the 2009-2010 Mid Florida Conference Scholar-Athlete Award.

In 21 games, Lack scored 194 points for a 9.3 points per game average at WSHCC. She connected on 44 percent (74-of-168) of her shots from the field, and pulled down 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. She finished the 2009-2010 season ranked third in the ACCC blocks per game and total blocks.

LADY STATESMEN FRESHMAN CLASS FULL OF FUTURE STARS
With four true freshmen on the roster, the Lady Statesmen have the talent to continue this run for many years to come. DSU welcomes guards Cedrica (C.J.) Cooper and Brooke Rhodes, and forwards Suzette Suggs and Aubree Ray to the squad this season.

Cooper is a former starter at Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, where she helped direct the AEHS from her point guard spot.

Ray lettered in basketball, track and volleyball at Hernando High School, where she played on the hardwood for Lana O'Bryant. The 6-foot-1 forward scored over 1,240 points in her four year career at Hernando High School and was named to the MHSAA Class 5A All-Region 2 District Team. As a senior, she averaged 17.6 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game.

Rhodes played at East Rankin Academy for Michael McAnally, where she was named the 2008-2009 MPSA State Player of the Year and 2009-2010 MAIS (formerly MPSA) State Player of the Year. As a senior, Rhodes averaged 21.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game and was named to The Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen Team.

Suggs lettered in basketball, softball and track and field at Coffeeville High School. As a senior on the hardwood, Suggs averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game, while playing for former Lady Statesman Bernadette Sayles. The 5-foot-10 forward was one of the top track stars in Mississippi over the last four seasons.