GAME NOTES: Lady Statesmen vs. Henderson State/Arkansas Tech (2.17-19.10)
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CLEVELAND - The No. 3 Lady Statesmen (21-1, 9-1 GSC) of Delta State University face a challenging schedule this week with four games in seven days. DSU defeated Harding 70-53 and Ouachita Baptist 80-71 to start the trek. This week's slate begins Thursday, Feb. 17, as the Lady Statesmen host the Lady Reddies (13-9, 4-6 GSC) of Henderson State University. The game marks the 41st meeting all-time between the conference foes with DSU holding a 26-14 edge in the standings. DSU claimed a 69-65 victory at HSU back on Jan. 20. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Walter Sillers Coliseum.

No. 5 Arkansas Tech University (20-2, 9-1 GSC) will host the Lady Statesmen to close out the week on Saturday, Feb. 19. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville, Ark. In the 45 previous meetings, the Lady Statesmen have posted a 28-17 record. The green-and-white and green-and-gold have played seven times in the GSC Championship and four times in NCAA South Region Tournament play. DSU is 6-1 in GSC title clashes with ATU, while the two schools are 2-2 in NCAA postseason play.

Delta State continues to add to its home win streak. The Lady Statesmen defeated Harding 70-53 to push the streak to 61 games on Saturday, Feb. 12. DSU established a new school record for consecutive home wins (59) with a 68-55 victory over Arkansas Tech on Saturday, Jan. 22. The win snapped a tie with the legendary Lady Statesmen squads coached by Hall of Famer Margaret Wade, who won 58 from March 9, 1974 (Auburn - W, 78-58) to February 23, 1976 (Immaculata - L, 53-64).

Senior point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper joined a very elite club on Thursday, Feb. 3 - 1,000 points/800 assists Club - at Southern Arkansas with her 10 point and 11 assist effort in DSU's 87-40 win. Cooper has led the NCAA in assists each of the last two seasons and she currently ranks No. 1 yet again. Through 22 games, Cooper has dished out 202 assists/9.2 apg and her 886 assists rank No. 1 all-time in Gulf South Conference history.

Veronica Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior and top candidate for the WBCA's National Player of the Year, has turned in 12 double-doubles for the Lady Statesmen. Walker ranks third in the GSC in scoring (17.9) and second in rebounding (9.8) while leading the GSC in blocks.

DSU GRABS SIXTH STRAIGHT 20-WIN SEASON
Most pundits credit consistency as the mark of great program. At 21-1, the Lady Statesmen have claimed their sixth straight 20-win season under coach Sandra Rushing, putting DSU among the nation's elite during this period. In her nine seasons, Rushing has led DSU to at-least 20 wins seven times, including three 30-win seasons and two 25-win seasons. In nine seasons, Rushing is 225-48 at DSU.

LADY STATESMEN FACING CHALLENGING SCHEDULE DOWN
There are certainly no cake walks in the GSC West Division and with streaking Henderson State and No. 5 Arkansas Tech on the menu this week; the Lady Statesmen are facing a challenging run down the stretch.

The Lady Statesmen welcome the Lady Reddies into Sillers Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 17. The two programs have met on 40 previous occasions with DSU holding a 26-14 lead in the series standings. DSU claimed a hard fought 69-65 victory over HSU at the Duke Wells Center on Jan. 20.

THE GREATEST RIVALRY
Rarely do two programs, located some 250 miles from one another, enjoy such an intense rivalry. For fans of Delta State and Arkansas Tech, the rivalry transcends the court; but for the players and coaches of the two historic programs, it's all about respect.

In the 45 previous meetings, the Lady Statesmen have posted a 28-17 record. The green-and-white and green-and-gold have played seven times in the GSC Championship and four times in NCAA South Region Tournament play. DSU is 6-1 in GSC title clashes with ATU, while the two schools are 2-2 in NCAA postseason play.

DELTA STATE HOLDS AT NO. 3 IN WBCA
There was only one major change in the top five in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25 Poll, as Clayton State (23-0) took over at No. 1 after defeating then No. 1 Lander University, who slid to No. 2, 83-81 last Saturday. The Lady Statesmen (19-1) held firm at No. 3. DSU held the No. 1 spot for six weeks before slipping two weeks ago.

SOUTH REGION POLL ALL GREEN-AND-WHITE
The Lady Statesmen enjoy the view at the top of the NCAA DII South Region rankings for a fourth straight week. Looking to bring the regional back to Cleveland, the Ladies will have big tests at home against Henderson State (2.19.11) and on the road against No. 5 Arkansas Tech (2.19.11). Those games will help bolster that top spot. The rest of the field looks like this: #2 Arkansas Tech, #3 Florida Southern #4 Florida Tech, #5 North Alabama, #6 Tampa, #7 Rollins, #8 West Alabama, #9 Ouachita Baptist and #10 Albany State.

COOPER JOINS ELITE 1,000 POINT/800 ASSIST CLUB
It's a rare club. So rare in fact, that Sarita “Bug” Cooper is only its second member; joining Ramona Von Boeckman, who scored 1,278 points and dished out 1,005 assists in the height of Lady Statesmen dominance in the A.I.A.W. Era.

Cooper, who holds the DSU NCAA Era and Gulf South Conference record for career assists with 886, became the 32nd player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career with 10 points at Southern Arkansas (2.3.11). In 124 career games, Cooper has scored 1,009 points.

RUSHING TOPS 100 GSC WINS
Head coach Sandra Rushing topped the 100-GSC victories plateau with an 84-49 win over Christian Brothers on Thursday, Jan.22. In nine successful seasons, Rushing is 104-26 in conference play.

AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Lady Statesmen boast a 3-0 record against ranked opponents this season with victories over No. 5 Arkansas Tech (68-58), then No. 25 Carson Newman (76-46) and No. 15 West Texas A&M (67-60). DSU also has a 4-0 mark against teams receiving votes in the WBCA Top 25.

RARELY BEHIND
Delta State has trailed in the second half of a game this season twice. At Pruitt Hall on Dec. 2, 2010, the Lady Statesmen roared back from 10 down with 18:22 to play to win the game 58-56. DSU's only other second half deficit came in the 68-66 loss to Harding at Rhodes Fieldhouse in Searcy, Ark., on Jan. 15, 2011.

Dominating the Paint
This season, the Lady Statesmen are dominating the offensive floor, particularly in the paint. They are outscoring the opponent 730-460 in the low post. The green-and-white have impressively scored 30 points in the painted area 15 times this season, and three times the Lady Statesmen have scored over 50 points down-low.

Delta State is averaging and impressive 34.8 points in the paint while the opposition is averaging 12.9 points less (21.9).

HOT OFF THE BENCH
The Lady Statesmen have one of the deepest benches in the Gulf South Conference. Off the bench, DSU has out-scored the opponent 451-305 (21.5-14.5) for the season. The bench players have scored 30 or more points six time this season with a season-high 54 points against Tougaloo on Nov. 22.

In GSC play, the green-and-white scored a high 45 points off the bench against Christian Brothers University at Sillers on Jan. 27.

THE BUG...NOT A BUG
Senior Bug Cooper will deliver, whether its scoring her 1,000th point against Southern Arkansas last week, or more often than not, in the assist column. Cooper leads NCAA DII with 9.2 assists per game, on pace to lead all divisions for the third year in a row (8.7 assists per game in 2008-2009 and 8.4 assists per game in 2009-2010). The accurate passer ranks sixth in NCAA DII history with her 886 assists., which is of course is No. 1 in GSC history. She protects the ball as well, leading the conference in assist to turnover ratio at 2.78.

THE RETURN OF THE DIRTY DELTA “D”
Through 22 games, the Lady Statesmen have held opponents to a measly 35.4 percent clip from the floor, which ranks first in the Gulf South Conference. The Lady Statesmen lead the GSC and are ranked second in the NCAA, allowing opponents a measly 52.6 points per game. Sandra Rushing's club is not just playing solid defense, they rank second in the GSC with a 47.5 FG percentage and are averaging 72.8 points per game.

WALKER INCHING TOWARDS TOP 10
Junior All-American power forward Veronica Walker has continued her assault on the DSU record books. The Indianola native is currently No. 12 on the career scoring charts with 1,465 points. She recently passed Lady Statesmen great Doreen Grote (1978-1981), who scored 1,443 points in her career, for 12th on the list. With 393 points on the year, Walker is averaging 17.9 ppg, including 12 double-doubles. She ranks third in the GSC in scoring and second in rebounding (9.8).

RINGING THE BELL...AGAIN AND AGAIN
Moe Bell is not wasting a single game in her last season with the Lady Statesmen. The shooting guard as topped the record book in career 3-point attempts (623), career 3-points made (266), 3-pointers made in a single game (10) and 3-pointers made in a season (99). Her 42.7 3-point field goal percentage ranks second all-time in Gulf South Conference history behind Becky Mauck's (UNA) 45.7 percent.

OUR VERY OWN ISSAC NEWTON...
Junior Veronica Walker has stretches where it seems like she won't miss. At 61.0 percent from the field, Walker has taken back the top spot in field goal percentage in the GSC from ATU's Natalia Santos. That impressive mark puts her fourth in the nation and gives her a chance to lead the nation in back-to-back years (63.7% in 2009-2010).

LADY STATESMEN RUN THROUGH GSC EAST DIVISION
As the GSC Tournament draws near, the Lady Statesmen hope to carry the momentum from marching through the GSC East Division into this year's event. 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 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.

GET THAT MESS OUTTA HERE...
Junior forward Veronica Walker tied the school record for blocked shots in a game with nine in DSU's 76-50 win over Southern Arkansas (1.8.11). Walker tied the mark held by Vickie Jackson, who set the record versus Troy State on Feb. 10, 1986. The Indianola native leads the GSC in blocks per game at 2.4 and is chasing the school's career record for blocked shots. In two-plus seasons, Walker has swatted 180 shots to rank third all-time at DSU. She needs 52 blocks to break the school record of 232 held by former Lady Statesmen Pam Lockett (1987-90).

RUSHING FOCUSED ON DELIVERING TITLE TO CLEVELAND
In the last six years, coach Sandra Rushing has guided the Lady Statesmen to a 169-20 (.891) 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.

YEAR RECORD SEASON ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2010-2011 21-1 WBCA No. 1 ranking/Currently No. 3
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 169-20 Four GSC titles/Five NCAA trips

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 advancing 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. They are back to No. 3 this season, allowing 52.8 points per game. 

DELTA DOMINANCE
There is no doubt the Delta State women's basketball team has run the table in the Gulf South Conference. Since the 1985-86 season, the Lady Statesmen have won 16 Gulf South Conference Championships. No other team in the West or East Division comes close to that number. Arkansas Tech has the second most titles with three. Until last season, they had not won a championship since 2003. Jacksonville State, West Georgia and Valdosta State each have won two GSC Championships. Central Arkansas, Henderson State and North Alabama come in with one Championship apiece.

WALKER LOOKING TO REPEAT AS GSC POY
With Veronica Walker's selection as GSC West Player of the Year last year, 11 Lady Statesmen hold the distinction of being named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year. Only Caroline Boclair and Jennifer Rushing have claimed two straight GSC POY awards. Boclair accomplished the feat in 1999 and 2000, while Rushing claimed the honors in 2007 and 2008. The 11 Gulf South Conference West Division Player of the Year Award winners are listed below in chronological order.

Year Player of the Year
1985-86 Delinda Samuel
1989-90 Crystal Hardy
1991-92 Latonya Patty
1995-96 Stacy Johnson
1997-98 Trina Davis
1998-99 Nicole Trotter-Francis
1999-2000 Caroline Boclair
2000-01 Caroline Boclair
2006-07 Jennifer Rushing
2007-08 Jennifer Rushing
2009-10 Veronica Walker