Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss. – Cornel Knight scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds to lead the Delta State University Men's Basketball team to a 62-57 come-from-behind victory over Shorter University Thursday, Feb. 14 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The Statesmen improved to 9-12 overall and climbed into sixth place in the Gulf South Conference standings with a 5-8 record.  The Hawks dropped to 14-8 and 8-6 in league play. 

“Great effort tonight by our Statesmen,” DSU head coach Jim Boone said.  “Our execution down the stretch made the difference in the win and I couldn't be more proud of the way we fought this one to the whistle.” 

After trailing the Statesmen for much of the first half, the Hawks closed the frame on a 6-2 run over the final 6:35 to tie it up at the break 23-23.  DSU shot 43.5 percent in the first half on 10-of-23 attempts from the floor, while burying 3-of-6 from 3-point range.  SU connected on 10-of-31 attempts for 32.3 percent and hit on a mere 3-of-12 from 3-point range.

Neither team attempted a free throw., but the Hawks outrebounded the Statesmen 18-16 and turned in five second chance points to DSU's zero. 

Shorter grabbed its first lead of the night on its first possession of the second half, as the Hawks Walter Hill banked in a jump shot off an inbounds play for a 25-23 lead. 

After falling behind by five, 32-27, with 12:32 to go, Terry Leake, Jr., got hot from 3-point range, burying three from deep and two made free throws by Cornel Knight knotted the game back at 38-38 with 8:26 to play. 

After trading back-to-back 3-pointers, the Statesmen went on a 6-0 run off a Leake, Jr., 3-pointer and a breakaway dunk by Lloyd Hickinson to put DSU up 47-41 with 7:05 to go in the game. 

The Statesmen built the lead to nine points, 58-49, with 51.1 seconds left, but back-to-back 3-pointers by SU's Dedric Ware and Marquise King made it a 60-57 game with 16.2 second left in the contest.

DSU would nail 2-of-4 free throws over the final two possessions to seal the victory 62-57 and even the season series at 1-1. 

Delta State connected on 21-of-50 shots for 42.0 percent for the game, while Shorter hit on 42.6 percent after making 23-of-54 attempts.  DSU outrebounded SU 36-34 and handed out a game-high 17 assists. 

Knight closed the game with a double-double to lead the Statesmen, scoring 21 points and grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds.  The junior from Mobile, Ala., also handed out four assists.  

Leake, Jr., who made a career-high five 3-pointers, paced the Statesmen with a game-high 22 points with six rebounds.  Jack Madgen also scored in double figures with 11 points and dished out five assists.

Ware led SU with 15 points while Hill added 13 points.

The Statesmen return to action on Saturday, Feb. 16 versus the University of Alabama-Huntsville.  The game will mark the 11th annual Sillers Coliseum Pink Out with fans wearing a predominance of green getting free admission.  J.T. Webb will have the call on Saturday on the Statesmen Sports Network starting at 3:45 p.m. with the DSU Alumni Association Statesmen Tipoff Report.