GAME NOTES: Lady Statesmen vs. Henderon State/Arkansas Tech (1.20-22.11)
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CLEVELAND - The No. 4 Lady Statesmen (14-1, 2-1 GSC) of Delta State University will try to bounce back from their first defeat of the season at Harding (68-66) with a pair of tough Gulf South Conference West Division contests this week. The Lady Statesmen travel to Henderson State University (10-5, 1-2 GSC) on Thursday before wrapping up the week against arch rival No. 2 Arkansas Tech University (14-1, 3-0 GSC). Thursday's game is set for a 6 p.m. tip with Saturday's clash slated for a 4 p.m. start at Sillers Coliseum.
Despite dropping their first game of the year last Saturday 68-66 at Harding, the Lady Statesmen (14-1, 2-1 GSC) remained in the narion's top five, as DSU slipped to No. 4 in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25 Poll. DSU had held the No. 1 spot for six weeks. Former No. 1 Arkansas Tech jumped to No. 2, while Lander University climbed to No. 1.
It's traditionally been one of the tightest series of DSU's NCAA era and Thursday, Jan. 20, the Lady Statesmen will square off once again with Henderson State at the Duke Wells HPER Center in Arkadelphia, Ark. The Lady Statesmen own a 25-14 edge in the series standings. Last season, HSU surprised the Lady Statesmen at “The Duke” with a 68-55 win. DSU returned the favor with a 100-69 win at Sillers.
The Lady Statesmen and Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech have met in some of the biggest games in GSC and NCAA South Region history over the years. Saturday's clash at Sillers will mark the 45th game all-time between the storied programs with DSU holding a 27-17 edge. Both teams rank among the all-time greats in NCAA Division II basketball history, with the Lady Statesmen first all-time in wins with 1,005 and ATU ranking fourth with 831. They've played for GSC titles, NCAA regional crowns and national surpremecy. This one will be no different.
Delta State will put its record 58-game home winning streak on the line as the green-and-white hosts its biggest rival Arkansas Tech on Saturday. The Lady Statesmen and DSU Alumni Association are hosting a “Bolivar County Alumni Basketball Day” and all DSU alumni are invited to attend and wear your green to greenout Sillers Coliseum.
Senior point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper has led the NCAA in assists each of the last two seasons and she has picked up right where she left off last year. Through 15 games, Cooper has dished out 123 assists/8.2 apg and she recently joined the 800-assists club with nine at Harding. Her 807 assists rank No. 1 all-time in Gulf South Conference history and the Indianola native needs just 47 points to join the 1,000 point club.
Veronica Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior and top candidate for the WBCA's National Player of the Year, has reeled off five straight double-doubles for the Lady Statesmen. In the GSC opener against the Lady Muleriders of Southern Arkansas, Walker delivered 30 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks in a 76-50 win in the GSC opener. Despite losing at Harding, the Indianola native had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Walker is averaging 17.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
Three-point specialist
Moe Bell adds to her school records for career three-pointers made and attempted every time out. The senior from Madison has connected on 250 career threes on 585 attempts. Both marks rank in the top seven all-time in GSC history.
The return of “Delta D” has been a point of contention for the opposition this season, as the Lady Statesmen allow just 51.2 points per game, while opponents shoot a mere 34.8 percent from the field.
Complete game notes and statistics are avilable at the link above.
