GAME NOTES: Lady Statesmen Basketball vs. CBU/UAM (2.24-26.11)
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CLEVELAND - The No. 5 Lady Statesmen (22-2, 10-2 GSCW) of Delta State University conclude the regular season this week with a pair of Gulf South Conference West Division games. DSU will travel to Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, Feb. 24 to face Christian Brothers University (8-16, 1-11 GSCW). Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. at Canale Arena. The game marks the 34th time the two schools have met on the hardwood with DSU holding a commanding 31-2 edge in the series. The green-and-white defeated the Lady Buccaneers 84-49 at Walter Sillers Coliseum on Jan. 27.

DSU will hold Senior Day festivities on Saturday, Feb. 26 in the regular season finale against the University of Arkansas at Monticello (6-18, 2-10 GSCW). Saturday's clash pits the two long-time GSC foes against each other for the 49th time. DSU is 39-9 all-time against the Cotton Blossoms, including a 76-55 win at Steelman Fieldhouse on Jan. 29. Saturday's game is set for 4 p.m. and DSU will honor seniors Moe Bell, Sarita “Bug” Cooper, Sheena Johnson, Tamara Reed and Shameka Russell prior to tip-off.

Delta State continues to add to its home win streak. The Lady Statesmen defeated Henderson State 66-54 to push the streak to 62 games on Thursday, Feb. 17. 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 Saturday, Feb. 19 - 1,000 points/900 assists Club - at Arkansas Tech with her 11 point and seven assist effort. Cooper has led the NCAA in assists each of the last two seasons and she currently ranks No. 1 yet again. Through 24 games, Cooper has dished out 221 assists/9.2 apg and her 905 assists rank No. 1 all-time in Gulf South Conference history and fifth in NCAA Division II history. In 126 career games, Cooper has scored 1,027 points.

Veronica Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior and top candidate for the WBCA's National Player of the Year, has turned in 13 double-doubles for the Lady Statesmen. Walker ranks third in the GSC in scoring (18.0) and first in rebounding (9.7) and blocks (2.4).

LADY STATESMEN TO WATCH
#5 • MOE BELL • G • 5-10 • SENIOR • MADISON, MISS./MRA
Senior guard Moe Bell is on the verge of becoming the 33rd player in Lady Statesmen basketball history to score 1,000 points in a career. The former Madison-Ridgeland Academy product has played in 125 games for Delta State, scoring 994 points. This season, Bell is averaging 9.1 points per game, the second highest total of her career, for the 22-2 Lady Statesmen. She holds the Delta State career records for 3-pointers made (271) and 3-pointers attempted (636), while also holding the single-season records for free throw percentage (87.5/2008-09), 3-pointers made (99/2008-09), 3-pointers attempted (208/2008-09 & 2009-10). Bell ranks third all-time in career 3-pointers made in the GSC and second in 3-pt. percentage (42.6).

#4 • SHEENA JOHNSON • G • 5-8 • SENIOR • CLINTON, MISS./WICHITA STATE
Senior guard Sheena Johnson has accomplished what few NCAA Division I transfers ever do, a seemless transition with their new team. The Wichita State transfer has played in all 24 games with 23 starts at guard for the green-and-white. The 5-foot-8 guard is a defensive machine, routinely receiving the toughest assignment each night for the Lady Statesmen. In 24 games, Johnson is averaging 10.6 points with 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. In GSC play, the Clinton native is averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

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