GAME NOTES: Lady Statesmen Basketball GSC Tournament Notes (3.3-6.11)
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CLEVELAND - The No. 3 Lady Statesmen (24-2, 12-2 GSCW) of Delta State University begin their quest for a 16th Gulf South Conference Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday, March 3 at the Desoto Civic Center in Southaven. The 15-time GSC champs come in as one of the nation's top teams, ranked third in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll and first in the NCAA South Region Poll. Owning GSC Tournament records for appearances (23), wins (47), championships (15), semifinal berths (21) and finals appearances (20), the Lady Statesmen have played in every GSC championship game except three since 1995.

The Lady Statesmen have played 10 games against the teams competing in this year's GSC Tournament, owning an 8-2 mark in those games. All-time, Delta State boasts a 207-39 mark against the field.

Led by Veronica Walker, who was named the West Division Player of the Year for a second straight season, Delta State placed two players on the All-Gulf South Conference First Team. Sarita “Bug” Cooper joined Walker on the First Team and closes her career as a four-time All-GSC honoree. Sandra Rushing also claimed her sixth straight GSC West Division Coach of the Year honor, a league record for either East or West divisions.

Since taking over the program in 2002-03, Lady Statesmen head coach Sandra Rushing is 227-49 (.823) with four GSC championships, two NCAA South Region titles, two NCAA Final Four appearances and five-straight NCAA Sweet 16 finishes. Rushing is 16-3 all-time in the GSC Tournament, including an 11-1 mark in the Desoto Civic Center.

This Lady Statesmen senior class will be seeking their third Gulf South Conference title in four years when the GSC Tournament tips off on Thursday, March 3 at the Desoto Civic Center. Delta State (W2/24-2) will open up against West Alabama (E3/18-8) at 5:30 p.m. The two teams met back on Dec. 2, 2010 with the Lady Statesmen claiming a 58-56 victory at Pruitt Hall on Sheena Johnson's jumper with 2.0 seconds remaining in the game. Thursday's matchup marks the 43rd meeting all-time between two of the GSC's founding institutions. DSU leads the series 39-3, including a 3-0 record in GSC play.

Exhaustive notes, updated statistics and rankings are available at the link above. 

SOUTHAVEN SUCCESS
Since the GSC Tournament moved to Southaven's Desoto Civic Center, the Lady Statesmen have claimed three (2007, 2008 and 2009) of the four championships held inside the arena.

I-55 SUCCESS
The Desoto Civic Center has been a home away from home for the Lady Statesmen over the past three seasons. Since the GSC moved the annual postseason clash to Southaven in 2006-07, the Lady Statesmen have claimed three championships and posted an 11-1 record.

LADY STATESMEN OWN GSC TOURNAMENT RECORD BOOK
The Lady Statesmen will be making their 24th appearance in the GSC Tournament, boasting a league best 15 championships and an all-time mark of 47-8 in GSC postseason play. DSU has appeared in a record 21 semifinals and 20 finals. DSU's 15 championships are 12 more than any other GSC school; ATU has three titles.

SOUTHAVEN SWAN SONG?
The Gulf South Conference and Desoto Civic Center are in the fifth and final year of a contract to host the annual Men's and Women's GSC Basketball Tournaments at the Southaven facility.

With the departure of the Arkansas-based schools to the newly formed Great American Conference, next week's GSC Tournament may be the last in the Desoto Civic Center.

GSC TOURNAMENT MVPS
Delta State has produced more GSC Tournament Most Valuable Players than any other program in conference history. Over the 23 year history of the GSC Tournament, Delta State has produced 15 MVPs in 19 championship appearances.

Year MVP
1986 Delinda Samuel
1987 Anita Robinson
1988 Anita Robinson
1989 Anita Robinson
1995 Theresa Perry
1996 Stacy Johnson
1997 Trina Davis
1999 Angie Taylor
2000 Nicole Trotter-Francis
2001 Caroline Boclair
2002 Tasha Watt
2006 Lawanda Stewart
2007 Jennifer Rushing
2008 Jennifer Rushing
2009 Bug Cooper

LADY STATESMEN GRAB SIXTH STRAIGHT 20-WIN SEASON
Most pundits credit consistency as the mark of great program. At 24-2, 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 228-49 at DSU.

AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Lady Statesmen boast a 3-1 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). The lone loss came at No. 5 Arkansas Tech, 72-62, on Feb. 19. DSU also has a 4-0 mark against teams receiving votes in the WBCA Top 25.

WALKER NAMED GSC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For the second consecutive season, Delta State forward Veronica Walker earned the West Division Player of the Year Award. Walker, who also was the West Division's top freshman two seasons ago, dominated the paint this season for the Lady Statesmen.

The junior from Indianola, Miss., leads the GSC in field goal percentage (.637), rebounds (9.8), blocked shots (60) and double-doubles (15). She is also third in scoring (18.3) and fourth in free throw percentage (80.5). She was named West Division Player of the Week three times – tied for the most this season.

In just 92 games, the Indianola native has scored 1,547 points to rank 10th in school history while grabbing 774 rebounds, which is good for 12th. The Gentry HS product is averaging 18.3 points, 9.8 boards and 2.4 blocks per game heading into the GSC Tournament, including 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds against GSC competition.

COOPER JOINS ELITE 1,000 POINT/900 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 920, which ranks fifth in NCAA history, 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 128 career games, Cooper has scored 1,041 points.

Her career has been one marked with success after success. The Lady Statesmen are 114-14 with Cooper at the point, including two Gulf South Conference titles, back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and three consecutive NCAA Sweet 16's.

BELL JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB; ADDS TO RECORDS
Senior shooting guard Moe Bell has enjoyed one of the greatest careers in school history. With a 114-14 mark on the floor and two GSC titles, Bell has literally shot the Lady Statesmen to those successes and on Thursday, Feb. 24 with six points at Christian Brothers she joined the 1,000-Point Club at Delta State.

The Madison native already holds school records for single-season free throw percentage (87.8), 3-point attempts (646), career 3-points made (275), 3-pointers made in a single game (10) and 3-pointers made in a season (99). Her 42.6 3-point field goal percentage ranks second all-time in Gulf South Conference history behind Becky Mauck's (UNA) 45.7 percent.

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 107-27 in conference play.

RARELY BEHIND
Delta State has trailed in the second half of a game this season three times. At Pruitt Hall on Dec. 2, 2010, the Lady Statesmen roared back from 10 down to West Alabama with 18:22 to play to win the game 58-56. DSU's only other deficits came in losses to Harding & Ark. Tech.

WALKER APPROACHING RAREFIED AIR
Junior All-American power forward Veronica Walker has continued her assault on the DSU record books. The Indianola native is currently No. 10 on the career scoring charts with 1,547 points. She recently passed Lady Statesmen greats Burnadette MacDonald (1984-87), Cornelia Ward (1975-78) and Doreen Grote (1978-1981). With 475 points on the year, Walker is averaging 18.3 ppg, including 15 double-doubles. She ranks third in the GSC in scoring and first in rebounding (9.8).

THE BUG...NOT A BUG
Senior Bug Cooper will deliver, whether its scoring her 1,000th point against Southern Arkansas (2.3), or more often than not, in the assist column. Cooper leads NCAA DII with 9.1 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 fifth in NCAA DII history with her 920 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 (2.73).

THE PAINTS ALL GREEN
This season, the Lady Statesmen are dominating the offensive floor, particularly in the paint. They are outscoring the opponent 890-550 in the low post. The green-and-white have impressively scored 30 points in the painted area 18 times this season, and four times the Lady Statesmen have scored over 50 points down-low. Delta State is averaging an impressive 35.6 points in the paint while the opposition is averaging 13.3 points less (22.0).

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 529-358 (21.2-14.3) for the season. The bench players have scored 30 or more points seven 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 RETURN OF THE DIRTY DELTA “D”
Through 26 games, the Lady Statesmen have held opponents to a measly 36.0 percent clip from the floor, which ranks first in the Gulf South Conference. The Lady Statesmen lead the GSC and are ranked sixth in the NCAA, allowing opponents a measly 53.1 points per game. Sandra Rushing's club is not just playing solid defense, they rank second in the GSC with a 47.9 FG percentage, which ranks fourth nationally, and they are averaging 72 points per game.

OUR VERY OWN ISAAC NEWTON...
Junior Veronica Walker has stretches where it seems like she won't miss. At 63.7 percent from the field, Walker leads the NCAA DII/GSC in field goal percentage for a second consecutive year. Her percentage ranks third in the nation and gives her a chance to lead NCAA DII 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 188 shots to rank third all-time at DSU. She needs 45 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 172-21 (.899) 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 24-2 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 172-21 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.

YEAR NCAA RANK SCORING DEFENSE
2010-11 5th 53.1
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

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 ADDING TO DSU'S DOMINANCE OF GSC POY
With Veronica Walker's selection as GSC West Player of the Year for a second straight season, 12 Lady Statesmen hold the distinction of being named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year. Walker joins Caroline Boclair and Jennifer Rushing as two time recipients. Boclair accomplished the feat in 1999 and 2000, while Rushing claimed the honors in 2007 and 2008. The 12 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
2010-11 Veronica Walker

COOPER TOPS 200 ASSISTS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
Lady Statesmen point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper has topped the 200 assists barrier for a third straight season. The senior has 236 on the year to lead NCAA DII. She had 289 as a sophomore and 265 as a junior, both numbers led all NCAA Divisions in assists.

LADY STATESMEN GRAB 650TH GSC WIN
Delta State claimed it's 650th all-time Gulf South Conference win with a 66-54 victory over Henderson State on Thursday, Feb. 17 at Sillers Coliseum. The Lady Statesmen are 652-130 all-time in 26 seasons in the GSC. Valdosta State is second all-time in GSC wins with 430.

GSC VICTORIES ALL-TIME RECORD
1. DELTA STATE 652-130
2. Valdosta State 430-273
3. West Alabama 376-306

OLYMPIC & NBA LINKS
Former Lady Statesmen great Lusia Harris-Stewart holds the distinction of scoring the first basket in Olympic Women's Basketball history. Harris was also drafted by the NBA's New Orleans Jazz following the 1977-78 season, becoming the first female drafted into the National Basketball Association.

CLEVELAND - TITLE TOWN
The Delta State University Lady Statesmen have dominated the Gulf South Conference over the years. The Lady Statesmen own virtually every GSC and NCAA Tournament record in the books. In NCAA history, DSU has appeared in a league-record 22 NCAA regionals with an all-time record of 53-20 (.716). The Lady Statesmen have made 13 NCAA Elite Eight appearances and 10 Final Fours, including 2007-08 and 2008-09, and four championship appearances. The Lady Statesmen have claimed three NCAA National Championships (1989, 1990, and 1992) and three A.I.A.W. crowns (1975, 1976, and 1977). No other school in the GSC has claimed a national championship in women's basketball.

All-Gulf South Conference
The Lady Statesmen boast more all-Gulf South Conference selections than any other member institution. In fact, since 1986 the Lady Statesmen have placed 49 players on the postseason honors team.

YEAR RECIPIENT
1986 Delinda Samuel (MVP), Vickie Jackson,Burnadette McDonald
1987 Burnadette McDonald, Betsy Hubbs
1988 Crystal Hardy
1989 Crystal Hardy, Pam Lockett
1990 Crystal Hardy (MVP),Pam Lockett
1991 LaTanya Patty
1992 LaTanya Patty (MVP),Shorlone Crockam, Leslie McKiernon
1993 Shorlone Crockam, LaTanya Patty, Leslie McKiernon
1994 Stacy Johnson, Theresa Perry
1995 Lynn Rose, Theresa Perry, Charise Stratton
1996 Stacy Johnson, Tanya Redmond
1997 Trina Davis, Stacy Johnson
1998 Trina Davis
1999 Nicole Trotter-Francis
2000 Nicole Francis, Caroline Boclair
2001 Caroline Boclair, Katrina King
2002 Megan Teel
2004 Jessica Dunlap, Emily Mabus
2005 Jennifer Rushing
2006 Lawanda Stewart, Jennifer Rushing
2007 Jennifer Rushing, Brittani Calhoun,Jessica Boyd
2008 Jennifer Rushing, Lakira Boyd
2009 Sarita “Bug” Cooper, Moe Bell, LaMaesha McAdory, Veronica Walker
2010 Veronica Walker, Sarita “Bug” Cooper
2011 Veronica Walker, Sarita “Bug” Cooper