MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The No. 12 Delta State Lady Statesmen officially punched their ticket to the postseason Gulf South Conference tournament with a 71-43 win at Southern Arkansas on Thursday.

Veronica Walker (Indianola, Miss./Gentry HS) registered her eighth double-double of the season as she scored 20 points and pulled in a game-high 16 rebounds.

Walker, the GSC's leader in field-goal percentage, overcame consistent double-teams from the Lady Muleriders and finished the night shooting 59 percent (10-of-17) from the field.

As a team, Delta State (20-2, 9-2 GSC) shot 50 percent (32-of-64) from the floor, while holding Southern Arkansas to 30 percent shooting (15-of-50).

Bug Cooper (Indianola, Miss./Gentry HS) scored 11 points and handed out a game-high seven assists for the Lady Statesmen. Cooper's seven assists brought her career total to 599, and needs only five more to break the all-time Gulf South Conference record.

Jessica Collins (Jackson, Miss./Itawamba CC) scored nine points for Delta State and Shameka Russell (Waynesboro, Miss./Southeastern Louisiana) added eight points for the Lady Statesmen.

Kmaria Hobbs, the GSC's leading scorer, led all players with 21 points for Southern Arkansas (7-16, 2-9 GSC). No other Lady Mulerider player had more than six points.

The Lady Muleriders set the tone for the game in the first few minutes and held a 7-5 lead with 15:50 remaining in the first half. After a slow start, the Lady Statesmen took control of the game from that point and used a 12-2 to establish a comfortable eight-point lead at the 7:39 mark.

Delta State continued to pour it on in the second half as the Lady Statesmen stretched an 17-10 lead to a 26-10 advantage between the 7:07 and 3:09 marks before halftime.

The Lady Statesmen held Southern Arkansas to 21 percent shooting (5-of-24) during the first half.

The second half featured more of the same as the Lady Statesmen never saw their lead dip below 15 points during the final 20 minutes.

Moe Bell (Madison, Miss./Madison-Ridgeland Academy) scored six points for the Lady Statesmen, draining two out of four 3-point attempts. She upped her career total to 193 triples, which ranks first in DSU history and eighth in GSC history.

Joncyee Sanders (Brandon, Miss./Brandon HS) scored five points for the Lady Statesmen. Denesha Henderson (Guy, Ark./Guy-Perkins HS), Jimisha Washington (Cleveland, Miss./Coahoma CC) and Dominique Sutton (Jackson, Miss./Pensacola JC) all scored four points apiece.

The Lady Statesmen return to action Saturday when they host the No. 5 Arkansas Tech Golden Suns at 4 p.m. The game is the first of a basketball doubleheader as Delta State fans are encouraged to wear white and “White Out” Sillers Coliseum.