Box Score
CLEVELAND, Miss. – Mike Weems 28-foot 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds remaining in the contest lifted the Delta State University men's basketball team to a 66-62 victory over the University of West Florida Thursday night at Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The Statesmen improved to 10-15 on the year and 6-11 in Gulf South Conference play while the Argonauts slipped to 12-13 and 7-10 in league action. 

After UWF's Sean Voss put the Argonauts up 62-61 with 20.3 seconds left, Delta State executed a perfect screen by Jack Madgen and an assist by Terry Leake, Jr., to give Weems the chance, for what proved to be the game winning 3-pointer from deep on the right side of the arc with 5.3 ticks left on the clock to put DSU up 64-62. 

UWF would turn it over on their long inbounds attempt, as Weems stole the tipped pass and was fouled by the Argonauts Pete Connole.  Weems sank both free throws to make the final margin four, 66-62.  The win also gave the Statesmen the season sweep of the Argonauts. 

Weems, a junior from Milwaukee, Wisc., scored a career-high 23 points in the win, including 5-of-8 made 3-pointers.  Leake, Jr., added 13 points and three rebounds, while Cornel Knight dropped in 12 points and pulled down six rebounds.  Madgen led all players with six assists and seven points. 

Ellis Young led the Argonauts with 20 points with Connole adding 18 points and Nate Johnson chipped in with 10 points.

The victory also put the Statesmen in good standing for the seventh seed at the upcoming Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball Tournament March 7-10 at The Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.      

In one of the tightest halves of the season, the Statesmen took a slim 31-30 lead into the locker room at the half.  DSU jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening moments of the game before UWF went on an 18-6 run over the next 8:01 to take an 18-13 lead.  The offense would level out for both teams over the next 10 minutes to close at a 1-point DSU lead. 

DSU shot 47.4 percent on 9-of-19 shooting from the floor, while UWF shot a blistering 52.4 percent on 11-of-21 made field goals.  Both teams connected on just two 3-pointers, but DSU nailed 11-of-14 free throws to UWF's 6-of-9.

Weems led the Statesmen with nine points at the break, while Johnson and Connole scored eight points each for the Argonauts.

The second half was a literal slugfest between the two teams, as the Statesmen and Argonauts both went to the line over 18 times in the half.  There were six-second half ties and 10 lead changes.  In the end, DSU's 19 points off UWF's 12 turnovers proved to be a major factor in the victory. 

DSU shot just 37.5 percent in the second half and finished the game hitting on 41.9 percent from the floor on 18-of-43 attempts.  The Statesmen were 8-of-18 from 3-point range and connected on 22-of-29 free throw attempts.

UWF shot 53.3 percent in the second half and closed the contest shooting 19-of-36 from the floor for 52.8 percent.  The Argonauts were 3-of-11 from 3-point range and nailed 21-of-30 free throws.  The Argonauts outrebounded the Statesmen 27-23 and outscored DSU in the paint 24-12.

The Statesmen will hit the court for the final time in the regular season on Saturday, as Delta State plays host to Valdosta State University on Senior Day.  Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network with Matt Jones and Eric Gallo on the call.