RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The No. 4 Lady Statesmen (28-3) of Delta State University are in familiar territory, as the green-and-white squareoff Monday at 7 p.m. for the NCAA South Region title against the No. 1 Golden Suns (29-2) of Arkansas Tech University at Tucker Coliseum.  The game marks the second consecutive season that DSU and ATU have met for the region crown on the Golden Suns home floor. 

Broadcast Information:
The Lady Statesmen Sports Network will broadcast the game starting at 6:30 p.m. with the “Shelter Insurance Locker Room Report.” Jimmy Smith and Matt Jones will have the call. The Statesmen Insider Social Network will also offer a live blog and in-game Facebook and Twitter updates. 

NCAA Tournament Quick Notes:
• DSU is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA South Region final

• The Lady Statesmen are 13-7 in the NCAA South Region Tournament championship game

• Coach Sandra Rushing is 16-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament in seven NCAA appearances – Six straight “Sweet 16” finishes

• Lady Statesmen advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2007-08 and 2008-09, finishing in the NCAA Final Four both years

• Delta State boasts six national championships, three NCAA Division II crowns and three A.I.A.W titles, in the programs history.

• DSU has 13 NCAA Elite Eight appearances and nine NCAA Final Four finished in its 25 years in NCAA Division II.

• The Lady Statesmen own an NCAA record 54 tournament wins, including 16 during Rushing's tenure.

• Delta State is 1,009-243-3 in program history. The Lady Statesmen rank No. 1 all-time in wins in Division II history.

Lady Statesmen Probable Starters:
PG - #1 – Sarita “Bug” Cooper (5-6/Sr.) – 8.2 ppg/5.2 rpg/8.9 apg
SG - #5 – Moe Bell (5-10/Sr.) – 8.3 ppg/2.2 rpg
SF - #4 – Sheena Johnson (5-8/Sr.) – 10.0 ppg/3.5 rpg
PF - #20 – Shameka Russell (6-2/Sr.) – 7.8 ppg/4.2 rpg
C - #30 – Veronica Walker (6-1/Jr.) – 18.5 ppg/9.9 rpg/2.2 bpg

Off the Bench for Delta State:
G - #10 – Amber Powe (5-8/Jr.) – 2.0 ppg/1.5 apg
C - #12 – Jamie Lack (6-3/Jr.) – 2.5 ppg/1.4 rpg
G - #21 – Tamara Reed (5-7/Sr.) – 2.4 ppg/0.9 rpg
G - #23 – Brooke Rhodes (5-8/Fr.) – 3.6 ppg/2.0 rpg
F - #32 – Denesha Henderson (5-7/Jr.) – 2.5 ppg/1.7 rpg
F - #33 – Jessica Brown (6-2/Soph.) – 1.8 ppg/0.9 rpg
F - #35 – Aubree Ray (6-1/Fr.) – 3.9 ppg/2.3 rpg

Lady Statesmen-Golden Suns Breakdown
In the final year of the Gulf South Conference, as we have known it for over a decade, it's fitting that two of the league's top women's basketball teams meet in the NCAA South Region Tournament Championship on Monday, as Arkansas Tech hosts Delta State at Tucker Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Two of the NCAA's all-time wins leaders clash for a second-straight year in the regional final. Last season, Arkansas Tech defeated Delta State 72-63 to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. This year's script is a Xerox copy of last year's.

The Lady Statesmen and Golden Suns have met three times this season with ATU claiming wins twice. DSU and ATU split their regular season meetings at home, while the Golden Suns claimed their second consecutive GSC title with a 73-62 win on Sunday, March 6 at the Desoto Civic Center.

The two programs have met on 47 previous occasions with Delta State holding a 28-19 advantage in the series. In the previous 47 games, 11 have been for Gulf South Conference titles or NCAA Tournament advancement. Delta State is 8-3 in those meetings, but Arkansas Tech has claimed three straight wins in the last two seasons with titles on the line.

The senior backcourt tandem of point guard Laura Beth Anderson and shooting guard Jenny Vining spark the Golden Suns. The duo combine to score 25.9 points a game.

Junior All-South Region performer Natalia Santos, a 6-foot-2 power forward, is another major factor in ATU's success. She averages a team-high 17.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

The Lady Statesmen counter with a pair of All-Americans in point guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper and center Veronica Walker. Cooper leads the Lady Statesmen and NCAA Division II with 271 assists, while Walker is averaging 18.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

The game will be a contrast in styles, as ATU features a quick-strike offense versus Delta State's grind-it-out defense first game plan. The Golden Suns average 84.5 points per game, while the Lady Statesmen allow just 54.5 points to the opposition. In the three previous meetings, ATU averages 67.6 points with DSU scoring 64.0 points per contest.

Monday's winner will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Missouri. The four-day event runs March 22-25.