GAME NOTES: No. 1 Lady Statesmen vs. Southern Arkansas/Ouachita Baptist (1.8-13.11)
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CLEVELAND - The No. 1 Lady Statesmen (12-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University will put their undefeated record and 56-game home winning streak on the line as the green-and-white open Gulf South Conference West Division play against the Lady Muleriders (1-9, 0-0 GSC) of Southern Arkansas University travels to Walter Sillers Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 8. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the Lady Statesmen Sports Network starting at 3:45 p.m. with Jimmy Smith and J.T. Webb on the call.

The game marks the 33rd meeting all-time between the two GSC foes. The Lady Statesmen have dominated the all-time series 28-4, but SAU holds the distinction of being the last team to defeat Delta State at Sillers Coliseum on Jan. 18, 2007.

The Lady Statesmen have won 56-straight home games dating back to a 52-49 loss to Southern Arkansas on Jan. 18, 2007. DSU's school record consecutive wins is 58 during the Margaret Wade Era. The mark is currently the longest home court streak in the GSC and NCAA Division II.

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 12 games, Cooper has dished out 98 assists/8.2 apg and she is approaching the 800-assists plateau in her career. Her 782 assists rank No. 1 all-time in Gulf South Conference history and the Indianola native needs just 74 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 picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Lady Statesmen to a 12-0 nonconference mark while averaging 16.8 points and 8.7 rebounds 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 242 career threes on 568 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 49.0 points per game, while opponents shoot a mere 34.0 percent from the field.

LADY STATESMEN BECOME FIRST DIVISION II PROGRAM WITH 1,000 WINS
What began with the “Rabbitt's Foot” team of 1927 has continued to fuel the drive for excellence in Lady Statesmen basketball for over 80 years.  From the playing days of Margaret Wade to her patrolling the sideline for Delta State, a tradition of winning and a committment to succeed can be found in every corner of Walter Sillers Coliseum.  With a 75-67 victory at Tougaloo College on Dec. 17, 2010, Delta State University became the first NCAA Division II women's basketball program with 1,000 victories.  

One look at the many banners hanging inside Walter Sillers Coliseum, and anyone can see that Delta State University women's basketball has developed into one of the nation's elite programs over the years.  In fact, since the program's inception, the Lady Statesmen boast more victories than any other program in the history of NCAA Division II basketball with 1,003.   Over the years, the Lady Statesmen have accumulated a 1,003-241-3 record with six national championships, and 15 Gulf South Conference titles.   No other program in NCAA DII history is a member of the 1,000 victory club.  Bentley College is the closest with 852 wins followed by Arkansas Tech University (828), California Poly-Pomona (818) and Central Missouri State (795).  

DELTA STATE REMAINS NATION'S NO. 1
With a 12-0 record, the Lady Statesmen remained No. 1 in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25 Poll.  The top three were unchanged from last week, while  former No. 1 Arkansas Tech moved back into the top four. 

It's the first No. 1 ranking for DSU since the 2007-08 season, a year that saw DSU finish the regular season 33-0. 

LADY STATESMEN OPENING GSC PLAY
While not being selected to win the West Division for the first time in five years, the Lady Statesmen, who were picked to win the GSC title by the league's coaches in the annual preseason poll, open divisional play on Saturday versus Southern Arkansas.  Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Walter Sillers Coliseum. 

The Lady Statesmen are 5-3 in league openers under coach Sandra Rushing.  DSU has won four-straight, all against Ouachita Baptist, GSC West Division openers dating back to the 2006-07 season. 

DELTA STATE & SOUTHERN ARKANSAS SERIES TIDBITS
The Lady Statesmen and Lady Muleriders (1-9) of Southern Arkansas are meeting for the 33rd time in series history.  Delta State has dominated the series, boasting a 28-4 edge in the series standings.  

LADY STATESMEN RIDING 56-GAME HOME WIN STREAK
The current 56 game home-court win-streak is now tied for sixth all-time in NCAA Division II. With their 67-60 win over West Texas A&M on Jan. 31, the Lady Statesmen tied California (PA.) for the sixth longest streak all-time in NCAA DII.  Nebraska Kearney owns the record with an amazing 87 game streak that stretched nearly six years.

North Dakota State sits in fifth place with a 58 game streak, which also happens to be the school-record set by the Lady Statesmen from March 9, 1974 to a 73-72 loss to Ole Miss on Feb. 25, 1978.  The current streak began after dropping a 52-49 loss to Southern Arkansas on Jan. 18, 2007. 

DIRTY DELTA DEFENSE
Through 12 games in the 2010-11 season, the Lady Statesmen have held opponents to a measly 34-percent clip from the floor, which ranks second in the Gulf South Conference. The Lady Statesmen also lead the GSC, allowing opponents only 49.0 points per game.  Sandra Rushing's club is not just playing solid defense, they rank second in the GSC with a .497 field goal percentage.

LADY STATESMEN RUN THROUGH GSC EAST DIVISION
As the start of GSC play officially begins, the Lady Statesmen hope to carry the momentum from marching through the GSC East Division into West side play.  DSU defeated UA-Huntsville (60-52), North Alabama (63-44), West Alabama (58-56), West Georgia (67-31), West Florida (75-53) and Valdosta State (60-45).

WALKER CLIMBING THE SCORING CHARTS
Junior All-American power forward Veronica Walker has continued her climb up the DSU record books. The Indianola native is currently No. 24 on the career scoring charts with 1,274 points.  With 202 points on the year, Walker is averaging 16.8 ppg and needs just 26 to top 1,300. 

COOPER CHASING 1,000 POINT & 800 ASSIST CLUBS
Senior All-American point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper is approaching two career statistical plateaus as we begin GSC West Division play.  The 5-foot-6 Indianola native needs just 18 assists to top 800 for her career and 74 points to join the 1,000 point club. 

In 114 career games, Cooper has scored 926 points, while handing out a GSC record 782 assists. 

COOPER HEATING UP AT RIGHT TIME
Sarita “Bug” Cooper has been heating up at the right time, handing out 56 assists in her last five games, including a season-high 14 at Tougaloo (12.17.10). 

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 the single season record. 

Through 12 games, Walker has blocked 24 shots this season to push her career total to 152 to rank third all-time in DSU history.  Walker tied her season-high with six blocks at Lambuth on Monday.     

JOHNSON DELIVERS FROM THE JUMP
Sheena Johnson, a 5-foot-8 senior transfer from Wichita State University, has made an immediate impact on the Lady Statesmen.  The Clinton native has started 11 of DSU's 12 games at guard for coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen, averaging 9.3 points and grabbing 2.9 rebounds.

Johnson possibly saved the Lady Statesmen with her late game heroics in the 58-56 win over West Alabama on Dec. 2., when she knocked down a jumper with three seconds remaining to win the game.

BELL BREAKS 3-POINT ATTEMPTS RECORD
Senior shooting guard Moe Bell has added another record to her list of accomplishments at Delta State - career 3-point attempts.  In her career, Bell has attempted 568 three-point attempts to climb past Tanya Redmond's former mark of 509. 

Bell has already toppled the Delta State record for career 3-pointers made (242), career 3-point field goal percentage (42.5%), 3-pointers in a game (10) and 3-pointers made in a season (99).  Her 42.5 career three point percentage ranks second all-time in Gulf South Conference history behind Beck Mauck's  (UNA) 45.7 percent.  Bell's 242 three's also rank seventh all-time.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
The Lady Statesmen have turned in four double-doubles in their first five games this season.  Junior Veronica Walker leads DSU with three, while freshman guard Brooke Rhodes has one.

PLAYER - OPPONENT - STATS
Brooke Rhodes - Tougaloo (11.22) - 18 pts/10 reb
Veronica Walker - Tougaloo (11.22) - 17 pts/10 reb
Veronica Walker - Ala.-Huntsviile (11.27) - 16 pts/14 reb
Veronica Walker - West Alabama (12.2) - 20 pts/11 reb
Veronica Walker - Tougaloo (12.17) - 30 pts/10 reb

RHODES CLIMBING INTO KEY ROLE AS A FRESMAN
Brooke Rhodes, a former two-time Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Player of the Year, is enjoying a high level of success as a true freshman.  Through seven games, the 5-foot-8 Pelahatchie native is averaging 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. 

Last week in DSU's 100-57 win at Lambuth, the freshman scored seven points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.   She also turned in her first career double-double, which also happened to be her career highs, with 18 points and 10 rebounds in DSU's 86-42 win over Tougaloo on Nov. 22 at Sillers Coliseum. 

LACK DROPS CAREER HIGHS
While still becoming acclimated to the DSU system, Jamie Lack is starting to contribute more each week.  Last Monday at Lambuth, Lack scored a career-high eight points with three boards.

REED APPROACHING RARE AIR
Senior guard Tamara Reed is making the most of her playing time this year, averaging 10.3 minutes per game and 2.5 points.  Her outside shooting has been deadly, connecting on 41.2 percent of her three-point attempts (7-of-17). 

The Bay St. Louis native is shooting 47.6 percent from the field as well, nailing 10-of-21 shots. 

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.   

The duo also appeared on several preseason All-American lists and are likely candidates for National Player of the Year.

RUSHING FOCUSED ON DELIVERING TITLE TO CLEVELAND
In the last six years, coach Sandra Rushing has guided the Lady Statesmen to a 160-19 (.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 SIX UNDER RUSHING
YEAR        RECORD    SEASON ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2010-2011    12-0    WBCA No. 1 ranking
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
TOTALS    160-19    Four GSC titles/Five NCAA trips

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. 

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. 

RUSHING'S SCORING DEFENSE RECORD
YEAR    NCAA RANK/SCORING DEFENSE
2010-11    -    49.0
2009-10    12th    54.9
2008-09    4th    52.0
2007-08    3rd    51.6
2006-07    3rd    49.2
2005-06    3rd    46.8
2004-05    17th    56.1
2003-04    4th    53.1
2002-03    NR    64.8

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.