Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State University Lady Statesmen Basketball team shot 50 percent in the second half to defeat the Christian Brothers University Lady Buccaneers 60-50, Saturday, Dec. 1 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
 
The game was the Gulf South Conference opener for each team. GSC play traditionally begins in January, but with the addition of two GSC teams in Shorter and Union, each league team has been forced to open its conference schedule a month early.
 
CBU (2-3, 0-1) opened the game shooting well from the floor, taking an 8-2 lead on a layup by Aramis Judson with 15:59 remaining in the half.
 
DSU (5-1, 1-0) took its first lead of the game at 22-21 on a three-pointer by Chelsey Rhodes with 2:33 remaining in the half. The Lady Bucks regained the lead two more times in the half, until a pair of Chelsey Rhodes free throws gave DSU the 26-24 lead at halftime.
 
Seneca Walton led the Green-and-White with a game high 10 first half points. Sarah Combs had seven to lead the Lady Bucs.
 
The Lady Statesmen opened the second half on an 11-3 run to take a 37-27 lead with 16:07 left.
 
CBU kept the deficit to 10 points for a majority of the second half, but cut the DSU lead to 56-50 on a Combs layup with 1:22 remaining in the contest. Combs was answered by Brittany Roberts, who scored on a layup with 1:08 left.
 
A pair of free throws by Brooke Rhodes with 41 seconds left sealed the victory for the Lady Statesmen.
 
DSU shot 9-of-18 in the second half to finish the contest 20-of-47 (42.6). The Lady Bucs finished 15-of-46 (32.6).
 
Walton finished with 16 to lead the Lady Statesmen, while Breanna Ridgell had a game high 17 for the visitors.
 
DSU returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 15 to take on the Stillman College Tigers. The game is for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in Tuscaloosa, Ala.