GAME NOTES: Valdosta State/West Florida at Lady Statesmen Basketball (2.2-5.12)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Lady Statesmen (13-4, 6-1 GSC) of Delta State University bring their seven-game winning streak home to Sillers Coliseum this week with a pair of games against Valdosta State University (15-4, 5-2 GSC) on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. and the University of West Florida (7-12, 3-4 GSC) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 4 p.m.

Valdosta State and Delta State will be meeting for the 35th time in series history on Thursday.  The Lady Statesmen have dominated the all-time series, holding a 29-5 edge in the standings.  VSU handed DSU its lone loss in GSC play 50-42 in Valdosta, Ga.   

Delta State is coming off a 57-44 victory at Christian Brothers University on Saturday.  Senior guard Denesha Henderson recorded her first career double-double for the Lady Statesmen with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

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 (19.1) and rebounding (9.4).  The senior from Indianola, Miss., ranks fourth on the career scoring charts at DSU with 1,985 points and sixth on the career list in the GSC.  She needs 15 points and seven rebounds to join the 2,000 point/1,000 rebound club.

The Lady Statesmen are .693 from the free-throw line so far this year thanks in part to Brooke Rhodes' conference best 82.3%. Denesha Henderson ranks second on the conference list shooting .79.6% and Veronica Walker's 76.2% is good for the sixth spot. 

Coach Sandra Rushing and the Lady Statesmen are once again setting the standard for defense in the Gulf South Conference, allowing a league-low 51.2 points per game and 34.8 field goal percentage defense. DSU has allowed an opponent over 60 points just four times, including a season-high of 74 in a 92-74 win against Alabama-Huntsville. In fact, opponents have been held below at or below 50 points 13 times, including 10-of-11 games for the Lady Statesmen.

After guiding the Lady Statesmen to a 245-55 record over the last 11 seasons, Biloxi, Miss., native Sandra Rushing is approaching 400 career wins.  In her 22-year career, Rushing is 394-251 (.638) with four Gulf South Conference titles, seven NCAA DII Tournament appearances, two NCAA Final Fours and six-straight “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/AIAW National Championships (6).  The Lady Statesmen's 54 NCAA Tournament wins are also a Division II record.

UP NEXT
DSU hits the road for a three game swing starting at the University of West Georgia (2.9/4 p.m.).  The Lady Statesmen will conclude the week with a trip to Livingston, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 11 to take on the University of West Alabama (2 p.m.).  

LADY STATESMEN-LADY BLAZERS ROUND TWO
For the second time this season, two of the most successful programs in GSC history renew their conference rivalry on Thursday, as the Lady Statesmen welcome the Lady Blazers to Sillers Coliseum. 

It's round two in the season series, as Valdosta State pulled off the 50-42 upset at The Complex back on Jan. 5 in Valdosta, Ga.  The Lady Statesmen and Lady Blazers have met 34 times previously with DSU owning a 29-5 edge in the series standings. 

DSU ended VSU's seasons in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in the NCAA Division II South Region or Gulf South Conference Tournament. 

ARGONAUTS READY TO INVADE SILLERS COLISEUM
For just the first time in series history, the Lady Statesmen will welcome the Argonauts of West Florida into Sillers Coliseum for a regular season GSC game.

Prior to the contest on Jan. 7 at West Florida, a 52-41 Lady Statesmen victory, the previous 10 meetings between DSU and UWF had come in either non-conference matchups or GSC Tournament games. 

Saturday's clash in Cleveland, marks the 12th time the two schools have met on the hardwood.  Delta State leads the all-time series 9-2.  

BEARDEN DOES IT ALL
Octavia Bearden has been a versatile player for the Argonauts this season averaging 11.3 points per game (.480) and 8.5 rebounds per game this season. Bearden also averages 2.4 steals per game.

GOING STREAKING
The Lady Statesmen's 52-41 win on Jan. 7, over the Argonauts of West Florida ignited a seven game win streak and DSU is now tied for first in the Gulf South Conference with Alabama-Huntsville with a 6-1 record.

ARGOS SCORING TRIO
Hanna Vette, Sher'Ryan Scott and Octavia Bearden all rank in the top 20 for scoring in the Gulf South Conference. Vette leads the Argos and is ranked eighth averaging 12.9 points per game, Scott's 12.9 points per game is good for the 9th spot, and Bearden rounds things out for the trio ranking twelfth, averaging 11.3 points per contest.

SHOOTING FOUL
The Lady Statesmen are .693 from the free-throw line so far this year thanks in part to Brooke Rhodes' conference best 82.3%. Denesha Henderson ranks second on the conference list shooting .79.6% and Veronica Walker's 76.2% is good for the sixth spot. 

ON THE REBOUND
Through 17 games, the Lady Statesmen have amassed a total of 657 rebounds which is good for an average of 38.6 per game. DSU is averaging 6.8 more rebounds than its opponents per game.

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 1,014-244-3 record.  The Lady Statesmen also hold the GSC record for all-time wins with a 658-133 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 51.2 points per game and 34.8 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 13 times, including 10 out of their last 11 games for the Lady Statesmen.

WALKER PUTTING UP PLAYER OF THE YEAR NUMBERS
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 19.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game to lead the Lady Statesmen this season.

In 17 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 1,985 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 17 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 (1,985 points/993 rebounds) is closing in on becoming only the 4th Lady Statesman to be inducted into 2,000 point and 1,000 rebound club. She currently is 15 points and seven 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 245-55 record over the last 11 seasons, Biloxi, Miss., native Sandra Rushing is approaching 400 career wins.  In her 22-year career, Rushing is 394-251 (.638) with four Gulf South Conference titles, seven NCAA DII Tournament appearances, two NCAA Final Fours and six-straight “Sweet 16” finishes.

HENDERSON ON FIRE FOR LADY STATESMEN
Senior guard Denesha Henderson is off to a career-best pace with a 6.9 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 37-of-92 shots from the field (40.2%), while clearing 3.7 boards per game. Henderson scored a career-high 28 points against conference foe Alabama Huntsville (1.19) and recorded her first double-double of her career with an 11 point/10 rebound performance against Christian Brothers (1.28)

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 LIKE AN UPPERCLASSMEN
Freshman guard/forward Rhandi Ball has gotten off to a fast start in her first season as at DSU, averaging 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, which rank second on the team. The Pontotoc, Miss., native is also second on the team with 34 assists. In 17 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. 

ROBERTS RULES
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 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.2 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 17 games, Walton is averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 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 (51.2), field goal percentage defense (34.8), 3-point FG percentage defense (22.8) and rebounding margin (+6.8).  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 392-of-892 shots for 43.9 percent.  DSU is just one of two schools in the GSC above 40 percent, but this week's opponent West Florida shoots just under 40 percent with a 39.9 percent team average from the floor.

MINUTES ON THE CLOCK
Sophomore shooting guard Brooke Rhodes and senior forward Veronica Walker rank first and third respectively in the GSC in minutes played this season.  Rhodes is averaging 34.8 minutes on the floor per game while Walker is coming in at 33.2 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.