GAME NOTES: Lady Statesmen Basketball at Christian Brothers (1.28.12)
Complete Weekly Release with stats, notes and rankings in PDF

CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Lady Statesmen (12-4, 5-1 GSC) of Delta State University take their six game winning streak on the road this Saturday, Jan. 28, as the Lady Buccaneers of Christian Brothers University (5-13, 2-4 GSC) play host to DSU at Canale Arena in Memphis, Tenn.  Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.  The game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network.   

Christian Brothers and Delta State will be meeting for the 34th time in series history on Saturday.  The Lady Statesmen have dominated the all-time series, holding a 31-2 edge in the standings.  DSU crushed CBU 66-40 on Feb. 24, 2011 in their last meeting at Canale Arena.   

Delta State is coming off a 77-49 victory at the University of New Orleans on Tuesday.  Sophomore forward Aubree Ray led the way for the Lady Statesmen with a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds.  It was the first ever meeting between the two schools. 

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 rebounding (9.4).  The senior from Indianola, Miss., ranks fourth on the career scoring charts at DSU with 1,974 points and sixth on the career list in the GSC.  She needs 26 points and 16 rebounds to join the 2,000 point/1,000 rebound club.

Senior guard Denesha Henderson scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Lady Statesmen past the Chargers of UA-Huntsville and into first place in the GSC standings with a 92-74 win on Thursday, Jan. 19.  Henderson is averaing 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. 

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 34.8 field goal percentage.  DSU has allowed an opponent over 60 points just four times, including a season-high of 74 in a 92-74 win over Alabama-Huntsville.  In fact, opponents have been held below 50 points 11 times, including eight of their last nine games.

Since taking over the program in 2002-03, Lady Statesmen head coach Sandra Rushing is 244-55 (.816) with four GSC championships, two NCAA South Region titles, two NCAA Final Four appearances and six-straight NCAA Sweet 16 finishes. Rushing stands just seven wins away from eclipsing the 400-win plateau. 

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 returns to the friendly confines of Walter Sillers Coliseum for a two-game home stand versus Valdosta State University (2.2/6 p.m.) and University of West Florida (2.4/4 p.m.).

LADY STATESMEN-LADY BUCS RENEW RIVALRY
Christian Brothers and Delta State will be meeting for the 34th time in series history on Saturday.  The Lady Statesmen have dominated the all-time series, holding a 31-2 edge in the standings.  DSU crushed CBU 66-40 on Feb. 24, 2011 in their last meeting at Canale Arena.

MIRROR IMAGE ON DEFENSE
The leagues top two defensive teams will collide on Saturday when the Lady Statesmen travel to take on the Lady Bucaneers who are definitely no stranger to defense themselves. CBU is ranked second in the Gulf South Conference just behind the Lady Statesmen in field goal percentage defense (35.4) and three-point percentage defense (26.8); the Lady Bucaneers do hold the top spot in the conference averaging 5.8 blocks per game.

BLOCKS, BLOCKS, AND MORE BLOCKS
Amber Williams and Jasmine Ellis lead the conference in blocked shots Averaging two per game and have combined for 68 blocks on the season for the Lady Bucaneers. 

THERE'S ONLY ONE...
In the modern era of Lady Statesmen Basketball, Delta State has suffered just one losing season since 1975-76 and that was in 1979-80  under former head coach Frances Garmon.  DSU is the only school in NCAA history to top 1,000 wins, as the Lady Statesmen boast a 1,013-244-3 record.  The Lady Statesmen also hold the GSC record for  all-time wins with a 657-133 mark.

DEFENSE NAME OF THE GAME FOR LADY STATESMEN
Coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen are once again setting  the standard for defense in the Gulf South Conference, allowing a league-low 51.3 points per game and 34.4 field goal percentage defense. DSU has allowed an opponent over 60 points just four times, including a season-high of 74 in a 92-win against Alabama Huntsville. In fact, opponents have been held below at or below 50 points 12 times, including three-straight games for the Lady Statesmen.

WALKER LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Senior power forward and WBCA National Player of the Year candidate Veronica Walker is off to a torrid pace this season. The two-time  All-American is averaging a Gulf South Conference leading 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game to lead the Lady Statesmen this season.

In 16 games, the Indianola, Miss., native has turned in eight double-doubles with a career-high 35 points coming versus Lincoln Memorial
and a season-high 14 boards versus Alabama Huntsville (1.19). In her four-year career, Walker ranks fourth all-time in career scoring at Delta State with 1,974 points and sixth in GSC history.

RHODES STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOWS
After playing the role of the sharpshooter off the bench last season, Brooke Rhodes has stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight this season for the Lady Statesmen. Through 16 games, Rhodes ranks second on the team in scoring (13.4) and third in rebounding (4.1). The Pelahatchie, Miss., native has scored in double figures in all but two games this season with a career-high 26 points coming versus Lincoln Memorial at the Carson Newman Lady Eagles Classic. She also chipped in 22 points versus Florida Southern in the second game of the Lloyd Clark Classic.

WALKER NEARING ELITE 2,000 POINTS/1,000 REBOUNDS CLUB
Veronica Walker (1,974 points/984 rebounds) is closing in on becoming only the 4th Lady Statesmen to be inducted into 2,000 point and 1,000 rebound club. She currently is 26 points and 16 rebounds away from joining the club that features former Lady Statesmen such as: Lusia Harris (1974-77), Deborah Temple (1982-84), and LaTanya Patty (1990-93).

RUSHING NEARING 400-WIN PLATEAU
After guiding the Lady Statesmen to a 244-55 record over the last 11 seasons, Biloxi, Miss., native Sandra Rushing is approaching  400 career wins.  In her 22-year career, Rushing is 393-251 (.638) with four Gulf South Conference titles, seven NCAA DII Tournament appearances, two NCAA Final Fours and six-straight “Sweet 16” finishes.

LADY STATESMEN SMASH NEW ORLEANS
Delta State is coming off a 77-49 victory at the University of New Orleans on Tuesday.  Sophomore forward Aubree Ray led the way for the Lady Statesmen with a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds.  Rhandi Ball added 13 points and five steals off the bench, while Veronica Walker (seven rebounds) and Brooke Rhodes (five rebounds) added 12 points each.  It was the first ever meeting between the two schools.

HENDERSON PLAYING AT CAREER PACE
Senior guard Denesha Henderson is off to a record-setting pace with a 6.7 points per game scoring average. The Guy, Ark., native has never averaged more than 2.8 points per game, but this season is quite different. Using a spot-on mid-range jumper, Henderson has connected on 34-of-83 shots from the field (41.0%), while clearing 3.3 boards per game. Henderson  scored a career-high 28 points against conference foe Alabama Huntsville (1.19).

WELCOME TO MY BLOCK PARTY
Veronica Walker ranks second on the Lady Statesmen's all-time blocked shots list with 213 in her career; only 19 shy from becoming the Lady Statesmen's all-time leader, which is held by Pam Lockett with 232.

BALL-IN HARD
Freshman guard/forward Rhandi Ball has gotten off to a fast start in her first season as at DSU, averaging 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds, which rank second on the team. The Pontotoc, Miss., native is also second on the team with 32 assists. In 16 games, the former All-State selection at Pontotoc High has scored in double figures five times including an 11-point, 11-rebound effort in DSU's signature win at Florida Southern in the Lady Mocs Classic. 

NEW FLOOR GENERAL
Junior transfer point guard Brittany Roberts is settling in to her role as the new leader of the Lady Statesmen offense. The Meridian, Miss., native is averaging 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, which rank fifth in the GSC. The former Shelton State (Ala.) standout dished out a career-high nine assists versus Lincoln Memorial and has twice topped the six assists mark versus Ouachita Baptist and Tougaloo College.

WALTON FINDING HER GROOVE
Freshman center Seneca Walton is starting to find her groove for the Lady Statesmen.  The Clarksdale, Miss., native turned in 11 points in DSU's 64-44 win over West Alabama (1.14), while providing a major spark off the bench with seven points and eight boards in the 64-40 win over West Georgia (1.12).  Through 16 games, Walton is averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest.  She scored a season-high 12 points versus Saint Leo earlier this year. 

SCATTERED, SMOTHERED AND COVERED...RUSHING STYLE
The Lady Statesmen have always been sound defensively.  This season DSU is making a mark with smothering defense.  DSU ranks No. 1 in the GSC in scoring defense (51.3), field goal percentage defense (34.4), 3-point FG percentage defense (22.2) and rebounding margin (+7.0).  All these numbers add up to another successful year for coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen. 

PUT IT IN THE BASKET...
Delta State enters week four of the Gulf South Conference schedule leading the league in field goal percentage.  The Lady Statesmen have connected on 374-of-841 shots for 44.5 percent.  DSU is just one of two schools in the GSC above 40 percent.  Next weeks's opponent VSU is the other at 40.4 percent. 

MINUTES ON THE CLOCK
Sophomore shooting guard Brooke Rhodes and senior forward Veronica Walker rank first and fourth respectively in the GSC in minutes played this season.  Rhodes is averaging 34.9 minutes on the floor per
game while Walker is coming in at 33.1 minutes per game.

DSU TIED TO BEGINNINGS OF WOMEN'S COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL
In the early 1970s, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women began a push to make women's basketball accessible to college and universities across the country.  Delta State was one of the first to make it a priority. 

Under Naismith Hall of Famer Margaret Wade, the Lady Statesmen enjoyed unprecedented success from 1974-75 to 1976-77, claiming three straight AIAW National Championships.  During her tenure as head coach, the Lady Statesmen went 157-23, including 93-4 during their national championship seasons.

After moving to NCAA Division II in 1986, the Lady Statesmen have continued to be one of the game's most successful programs.  DSU claimed NCAA DII national championships in 1988-89, 1989-90 and 1991-92.  The Lady Statesmen also boast the most wins by an NCAA DII member institution with 980 (980-241-3).

“FAB FIVE” THE FIRST OF MANY AT DSU
Coach Margaret Wade built a dynasty at Delta State around a group of players, known simply as the “Fab Five.”  Lusia Harris-Stewart (C), Debbie Brock (PG), Cornelia Ward (F), Wanda Hairston (F) and Ramona Von Boeckman (F) became the first and potentially only starting five named All-American in the same year.  All five DSU starters were named to the Hanes 1976-77 All-American Team following a 32-3 season and their third-straight AIAW national championship. 

BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME HOME TO TWO LADY STATESMEN
Delta State is the only university in Mississippi and the Gulf South Conference to boast two inductees into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame - Lily Margaret Wade (1986) and Lusia Harris-Stewart (1992).

Wade became the first female inductee in 1986 after a storied career as a collegiate and high school coach.  Her career record stands at 610-112 in 19 seasons at Cleveland High and six seasons at DSU. 

Harris-Stewart simply changed the game when arrived on the scene in 1975.  The 6-foot-3 center still stands as one of the game's all-time greats.  In four years at DSU, she scored 2,981 career points (25.9 ppg), grabbed 1,662 rebounds (14.4 rpg), and graduated with fifteen of eighteen DSU team, single game and career records. 

Harris-Stewart led DSU to a 109-6 record and three straight AIAW National Championships. Harris-Stewart was a member of the first-ever women's silver medal Olympic team in 1976, and held the distinction of being the team's leading scorer and leading rebounder.

2,000 POINTS - 1,000 REBOUNDS
The Lady Statesmen boast three players in the 2,000 point/1,000 rebound Club.  Lusia Harris-Stewart (1974-77) headlines the club, as DSU's all-time leading scorer (2,981) and rebounder (1,662).  Deborah Temple (1982-84) joined the club following the 1984 season with 2,225 points and 1,047 rebounds.  LaTanya Patty (1990-93) became the last member of the club in 1993, finishing her career with 2,106 points and 1,061 rebounds. 

LEGENDS COACH HERE
Very few coaches have had the impact on their respective universities like Margaret Wade and Lloyd Clark. The two coaches combined to win 651 games and six National Championships while prowling the sidelines at Delta State. Wade is often referred to as “the Mother of modern women's college basketball,” while Clark's teams were widely known for their defensive prowess and athleticism.

Wade coached the Lady Statesmen to three straight AIAW National Championships, and players under her direction remain on top of the DSU record books. Coach Wade had such an impact, that in 1978, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association named their Player of the Year award after coach Margaret Wade, The Wade Trophy.

Coach Wade had an unheard of record of 109-6 during her first four years at the helm of DSU Women's Basketball. In 1986, Wade became the first woman to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

During his 19 years as head coach, Lloyd Clark became one of the greatest coaches in women's basketball history. Clark compiled an amazing 494-98 record from 1983-2002. His teams won three NCAA DII National Championships, including back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.  Clark's teams reached the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 19 seasons, and advanced to the Elite Eight 11 times. Clark was named Gulf South Conference Coach of the year five times. In 2006, Clark was inducted into the MS Sports Hall of Fame.

LADY STATESMEN PICKED TO WIN NEW LOOK GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE
Delta State University has long been the women's basketball program that has set the standard in the Gulf South Conference. Entering the 2011-12 season, there are many that still hold the same view.

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.

Delta State, which went 28-4 last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II South Region finals, also enters the season as the No. 8-ranked team in the nation in the Division II Bulletin Top 25 poll. It is the only GSC team in the preseason poll.

Headlining the preseason All-Conference team is Delta State senior forward Veronica Walker. The All-American forward is the two-time defending GSC West Division Player of the Year. She is joined by a pair from Alabama-Huntsville, sophomore guards Jasmin Hammon and Jordan Smith, and a pair of seniors, Christian Brothers forward Jasmine Ellis and Valdosta State guard Sczeny Hartry.

Walker averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game last season to lead the Lady Statesmen to a 28-4 overall record and a sixth straight NCAA Sweet 16 finish.