GAME NOTES: West Georgia/West Alabama at Lady Statesmen Basketball (1.12-14.12)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Gulf South Conference race is heating up and this week will go a long way in determining the future for the Lady Statesmen (7-4, 1-1 GSC), as Delta State welcomes in the University of West Georgia (6-7, 1-1 GSC) and the University of West Alabama (6-7, 1-1 GSC).
West Georgia will travel to DSU on Thursday, Jan. 12 for a 6 p.m. tip. The Lady Statesmen and Lady Wolves are meeting for the 32nd time in series history on Thursday with DSU owning a 28-3 edge in the standings. The two teams last met on Dec. 4, 2010, as the Lady Statesmen came away with a 67-31 victory in Scott Groninger's first season at UWG.
West Alabama heads into Sillers Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 14 for a 4 p.m. start. Saturday's clash pits two of the GSC's founding members in a battle for conference superiority. The game marks the 44th meeting all-time with DSU dominating the series 40-3. The Lady Statesmen swept the regular season series last year with the last meeting coming in the opening round of the GSC Tournament, a 69-65 Delta State victory.
Veronica Walker, a two-time Gulf South Conference West Division Player of the Year and preseason candidate for WBCA National Player of the Year, enters the week leading the league in scoring (19.3) and ranks third in rebounding (8.9). The senior from Indianola, Miss., ranks fifth on the career scoring charts at DSU with 1,877 points and seventh on the career list in the GSC.
Defense remains the name of the game for coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen. The Lady Statesmen are once again setting the standard for defense in the Gulf South Conference, allowing a league-low 51.7 points per game and 35.0 field goal percentage. DSU has allowed an opponent over 60 points just three times, including a season-high of 65 in a 65-60 loss at Ouachita Baptist. In fact, opponents have been held below 50 points six times, including a stretch of five straight games.
Sophomore shooting guard
Brooke Rhodes is off to a fast start for the green-and-white. The Pelahatchie, Miss., native is averaging 14.4 points and 2.2 assists per game for DSU this season.
Since taking over the program in 2002-03, Lady Statesmen head coach Sandra Rushing is 239-55 (.816) with four GSC championships, two NCAA South Region titles, two NCAA Final Four appearances and six-straight NCAA Sweet 16 finishes.
The Lady Statesmen were the unanimous choice as the GSC's top team in the preseason voting done by the league's head coaches. DSU earned seven first-place votes and finished with 49 points. Valdosta State finished nine points behind with 40 points. The remaining first-place vote went to Alabama-Huntsville, which placed third with 33 points. North Alabama (27), West Alabama (26), West Georgia (23), West Florida (17) and Christian Brothers (13) rounded out the voting.
One of the nation's most successful women's programs, Delta State holds Gulf South Conference records for GSC titles (15), NCAA postseason appearances (24), victories (52), Elite Eight appearances (13), Final Four berths (9) and NCAA National Championships (3). The Lady Statesmen's 54 NCAA Tournament wins are also a Division II record.
UP NEXT
DSU splits next week with a pair of Gulf South Conference showdowns at home versus Alabama-Huntsville (1.19/6 p.m.) and on the road at North Alabama (1.21/2 p.m.).
