GAME NOTES: Delta State Lady Statesmen vs. Clayton State/Brevard (11.12-18.12)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Lady Statesmen (1-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University officially began the David Midlick Era with a 99-37 victory over Selma University on Monday, Nov. 12 at Sillers Coliseum.  Freshman Chelsey Rhodes dropped 17 points to lead all scorers in the contest, while freshman center Becca Ruckes delivered a double-double in her first collegiate game with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The weekend concludes with a pair of games on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16-17 at the Lady Bulldog Basketball Classic. The Lady Statesmen face No. 10 Clayton State (0-0) Friday and Brevard (0-0) on Saturday.  Both games will be broadcast on the Lady Statesmen Sports Network starting 15 minutes prior to jump on the DSU Alumni Association Tipoff Show. 

Two perennial powerhouses in NCAA DII, Delta State and Clayton State have only met twice on the hardwood with the Lady Statesmen owning a 2-0 lead in the series.  DSU defeated CSU 69-57 on Dec. 9, 2006 and claimed a 73-60 win on Dec. 9, 2007.   Saturday's game with Brevard marks the first time the two schools have met on the basketball court.  The Lady Statesmen and Tornados have never met in any sport.       

David Midlick (1-0) enters his first season as head coach of the Lady Statesmen, while bringing nine years of collegiate experience to Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The Memphis, Tenn., native was a three-year starter at guard for the University of Mississippi as a player and has continued his coaching career with stops at Tennessee State and Austin Peay. 

Brooke Rhodes, a 5-foot-8 shooting guard, was named to the Gulf South Conference Preseason All-GSC Team by a vote of the league's coaches in October.  The Pelahatchie, Miss., native, who was an Second Team All-GSC pick in 2011-12, is the top returning scorer (12.8) and second-leading rebounder (4.3) for the Lady Statesmen.  

Senior point guard Brittany Roberts is ready to take the reins of the new look Lady Statesmen offense this season.  The Meridian, Miss., native averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 assists per game a year ago, while ranking in the top five in assists per contest.

Sophomore forward Rhandi Ball is looking to build upon her GSC Freshman of the Year honor last season as she jumps into the starting lineup this season.  The 6-foot-1 Pontotoc, Miss., native averaged 5.9 points and 5.4 rebounds last season.  She also dished out at least four assists versus 12 different opponents.

The Lady Statesmen were picked to finish fourth overall this season in the annual Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.  DSU received 33 poll points, while preseason favorite Alabama-Huntsville garnered 47.  

Delta State went 1-0 in exhibition play to start the season with a 58-52 win at Mississippi Valley State (11.1).  Rhandi Ball led the Lady Statesmen with 17 points and 17 rebounds versus the Delta Devilettes.  Seneca Walton (15 points/10 rebounds) and Chelsey Rhodes (12 points) also scored in double digits.  

UP NEXT
Delta State returns to Walter Sillers Coliseum for a three-game home stand.  The Lady Statesmen host Tuskegee on Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. followed by Stillman College on Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. in the Lloyd Clark Classic.  DSU opens Gulf South Conference play in home stand finale, as Christian Brothers travels to Cleveland on Dec. 1 for a 2 p.m. tipoff.

MIDLICK ERA BEGINS AT DELTA STATE
Only the fifth coach in the modern era of Lady Statesmen Basketball,  David Midlick began his tenure as head coach Monday night with a 99-37 victory over Selma University at Sillers Coliseum. 

The Memphis, Tenn., native brings nine years experience at the NCAA Division I level back to the Mississippi Delta.  During his time with Tennessee State and Austin Peay State, Midlick established himself as a great evaluator of talent and once on campus the ability to develop student-athletes into successful players on and off the court.

Prior to coming to DSU, Midlick spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Austin Peay State University, where he served under head coach Carrie Daniels and the Lady Governors.   Midlick was in charge of forwards and centers development, while assisting with recruiting, academic tracking, scheduling, compliance and game planning.  Two of his signees in the 2011 APSU class were ranked nationally by ESPN.

DELTA STATE SET FOR SHOWDOWN WITH LAKERS/TORNADOS
The Lady Statesmen (1-0) face a daunting task this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16-17 at the Union University Classic with a pair of games against title contenders.  On Friday, DSU will face the No. 10 Lakers of Clayton State, while Saturday's showdown features a date with the Tornados of Brevard College.

Two perinnial powerhouses in NCAA DII, Delta State and Clayton State have only met twice on the hardwood with the Lady Statesmen owning a 2-0 lead in the series.  DSU defeated CSU 69-57 on Dec. 9, 2006 and claimed a 73-60 win on Dec. 9, 2007.   

Saturday's game with Brevard marks the first-time the two schools have met on the basketball court.   

DELTA STATE TRIPS UP MISS. VALLEY STATE IN EXHIBITION
In their lone exhibition of the preseason, the Lady Statesmen defeated defending Southwestern Conference champion and NCAA Division I Mississippi Valley State 58-52 on Nov. 1 at the HPER Complex in Itta Bena. 

Rhandi Ball led the Lady Statesmen with career-highs in points (17) and rebounds (17).  Seneca Walton added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman guard Chelsey Rhodes dropped in 12 points.  

LADY STATESMEN PICKED 4TH IN GSC COACHES POLL
Delta State found itself in unfamiliar territory, as the Lady Statesmen were picked fourth in the annual Preseason Gulf South Conference Coaches' Poll.  DSU has not been picked lower than second in any preseason league poll since the 2003-04 season. 

UAH claimed five first-place votes and two second-place votes, a total of 47 points, as it was the choice as the GSC's top team in the preseason voting poll done by the conference's head coaches. Last year's surprise GSC Champions, West Alabama, finished with a total of 42 points, three first-place votes and three second-place votes, while Valdosta State rounds out the Top 3 with a total of 35 points.

After a 22-7 season, including a 12-2 GSC record, Delta State is ranked fourth with 33 total points.  North Alabama completes the top five with 26 points.

RHODES NAMED PRESEASON ALL-GSC
Junior shooting guard Brooke Rhodes, a 2011-12 Second Team All-GSC selection, was named to the Preseason All-GSC Team by a vote of the league's head coaches. 

The Pelahatchie, Miss., native averaged 12.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, including 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in league play, last season while leading the Lady Statesmen to a 22-7 record and the NCAA South Region Tournament Final.

WE WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE
The Statesmen will be wearing Nike head-to-toe this season after DSU Athletics finalized a deal with the athletic apparel giant last summer. 

RHANDI'S BALL
Sophomore forward Rhandi Ball is looking to build upon her GSC Freshman of the Year honor last season as she jumps into the starting lineup this season.  The 6-foot-1 Pontotoc, Miss., native averaged 5.9 points and 5.4 rebounds last season.  She also dished out at least four assists versus 12 different opponents.

ROBERTS READY TO LEAD NEW LOOK OFFENSE
Senior point guard Brittany Roberts is ready to take the reins of the new look Lady Statesmen offense this season.  The Meridian, Miss., native averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 assists per game a year ago, while ranking in the top five in assists per contest. 

NEWCOMERS BY THE BUS LOAD
The Lady Statesmen feature just five players off last season's 22-7 squad, but only three saw significant time.  Led by All-GSC guard Brooke Rhodes, GSC Freshman of the Year Rhandi Ball and senior point guard Brittany Roberts, the Green-and-White will feature seven newcomers this season. 

STATESMEN, NOT FIGHTING OKRA
Despite some rowdy student objections, athletic programs at Delta State University do not use the student-chosen sub-mascot, Fighting Okra.  The Fighting Okra, the most vicious of all vegetables, was created by a band of students at DSU in the late 1980's and early 1990's. 

While some on campus embrace the scary veggie, DSU Athletics does not.  Our programs have always been, and will continue to be the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen.  If you have a problem with that, take it up with the vegetable in the corner with boxing gloves.

HISTORIC WALTER SILLERS COLISEUM
The Lady Statesmen begin their 38th season inside the historic confines of Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The parque floor has seen 15 Gulf South Conference championships, three NCAA National Championships and 24 NCAA Tournament teams during its tenure as the home of the Green-and-White.

The 4,000-seat arena offers fans a panoramic view from two different levels, including more than 1,000 chair-back seats in the mezzanine level. During the spring of 1997 the bleachers on the lower east level were replaced with luxury seats for fans and lowered almost to floor level in 1999. The famed floor that so many DSU greats played on was replaced by a state of the art parquee floor following the 1998 season.

Sillers was dedicated on January 19, 1961 at an elaborate ceremony that featured then governor Ross Barnett and comments from Walter Sillers himself.  The man after whom the arena is named is a native of Rosedale, Miss., and was a long-time advocate and friend of the University, showing what was termed as “unusual loyalty and devotion to DSU.”

Offices for men's and women's basketball are located in the coliseum. There are also four spacious lockerrooms, a referee's lounge, weight room, media room, and several classrooms.

During the summer of 2008, the player's locker rooms were completely renovated and included the addition of a player's lounge that features a flat screen television, internet access and luxury couches and chairs. The famed coliseum floor that was replaced in 1998 was freshly painted and touched up and will be ready for the first tip-off of the 2008-09 season.

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