Box Score CLEVELAND—The Statesmen basketball team has been looking for a confidence building win to snap a recent losing streak. For awhile, it looked like the Statesmen were on their way to that victory, but a huge second half for the Tigers put a wrench in that plan. West Alabama took advantage of DSU turnovers en route to a 74-58. The loss was the eighth straight for the Statesmen.

The game was back-and-forth to start the first half. Both teams enjoyed a lead, but neither team could pull away in the first half.
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The game turned ugly late in the first half. Marqueys Brown hit a lay-up and was fouled. Both he and West Alabama's Kyle Belcher were tangled up. Both players were assessed technical fouls for taunting, and Belcher was given a second flagrant foul for throwing an elbow, and was ejected from the ball game.

After each team took technical free throws the Statesmen took a 27-23 lead as the game got back underway. The Statesmen continued on a 16-5 run to extended their lead to 31-25. The Tigers did not go away, as both teams battled through the rest of the first half. When all was said and done, the Statesmen took a three point lead into halftime.

Terry Leake had an outstanding first half for the Statesmen, as he went 6-of-7 from the floor, and finished the first half with a game-high 17 points. The Statesmen as a team shot 13-of-23 from the floor good for 57 percent. West Alabama (4-11, 2-1 GSC) shot 13-of-27 from the floor, good for 48 percent. The tigers hit three of their seven three point shots in the first half, and the Statesmen hit just one of their four. Steven Samuels led the Tigers in scoring with 13 first half points.

Leake's night was not done in the first half, as he went right back to work as the second half started. Leake scored the first four points of the second half for the Statesmen as they pushed their lead to 40-36. Leake's second bucket gave him 21 points, a new career high.
Just like Leake, Samuels led the Tigers, as West Alabama grabbed a 54-48 lead with 10 minutes to go.

The turnover bug bit the Statesmen (4-10, 0-4 GSC), as the Tigers took advantage of the giveaways. The Statesmen turned the ball over 25 times, 13 times in the second half. The Tigers rolled off 33 points on Statesmen turnovers.   The Tigers were white-hot from three-point range especially in the second half. West Alabama was 11-of-17 from beyond the arc and 8-of-10 in the second half.

Leake led the Statesmen with a career-high 26 points. Leake's previous career high was 20. Senior forward Marqueys Brown chipped in 11 points, and Sophomore guard Cornell Knight scored 10.

Samuels scored 24 points for the Tigers, and Ryan Fitch provided 20 points. Jared Woolfolk was the third Tiger in double figures with 13.

The Statesmen will hit the road for a Monday contest in New Orleans. The Statesmen will take on the Privateers of the University of New Orleans. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.