Box Score CLEVELAND-The Delta State University Statesmen basketball team avenged an 88-59 loss exactly seven days ago, defeating the Ouachtia Baptist Tigers 65-62 Saturday night at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
 
The two teams traded buckets in the opening minutes of the contest, with neither team leading by more than a possession until the Statesmen (3-2) pushed the lead to 22-16 with a layup by Aaron Cooper with 4:49 remaining until half.
 
DSU only managed one more bucket, a slam-dunk by Sylvester Collins with only 11 seconds left in the half to push the lead to 24-20 at the half.
 
OBU (3-1) got six points each in the first half from David Day and Emmanuel Engulu. Marqueys Brown led all scorers with 14 first half points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor.
 
The Statesmen shot 45.8 percent (11-of-24) while the Tigers finished 30 percent (9-of-30), including a 0-6 mark from three-point range.
 
A Cornell Knight three-pointer with 15:24 remaining pushed DSU to its biggest lead of the game at 35-26.
 
From that point, OBU went on an 18-10 run to cut the DSU lead to 45-44 with 7:18 remaining.
 
DSU did increase its lead by more than five following the OBU run, as the
two continued trading buckets in a hot shooting second half. However, the Statesmen did not relinquish the lead.
 
Julian LaDay knocked down a shot from downtown, making the score 63-62 with eight seconds remaining, but Cornell Knight calmly drilled two free throws to seal the win, as Eric Braeuer 's shot was released following the horn.
 
The Tigers finished the second half shooting 52.9 percent (18-of-34), while DSU burned the nets, shooting 61.5 percent (16-of-26). The Statesmen finished the contest at 54 percent (27-of-50) while OBU finished 42.2 percent (27-of-64).
 
The Statesmen were lead by Cornell Knight who had a game high 22 points, including 18 in the second half. David Day paced the Tigers with 15.
 
OBU forced the Statesmen into 24 turnovers, including 14 in the second half. DSU won the rebounding war 36-29.
 
The Statesmen return to action on Mon. November 28 as they host former GSC foe Henderson State at 7 p.m. DSU defeated the Reddies 94-92 on Nov. 21.