FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – The NCAA Division II South Region Women's Basketball Tournament is down to its final two teams, as the Lady Statesmen (21-9) of Delta State University square off Monday against the host Nova Southeastern University Sharks (22-8). Game time is set for 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST inside the Don Taft University Center and the game will be broadcast on the Lady Statesmen Sports Network. The winner advances to the NCAA Elite Eight beginning March 26 in San Antonio, Texas.
The third-seeded Lady Statesmen had to navigate a bracket filled with Gulf South Conference opponents to reach Monday's final. DSU defeated North Alabama 51-41 in the quarterfinals followed by an 81-58 win over the University of Alabama-Huntsville in the semifinals.
The Sharks, who entered the regional as the top seed, downed Clark Atlanta University 87-60 in their first game and defeated fellow Sunshine State Conference school Rollins College 73-57 to reach the title tilt.
Monday's clash in the NCAA South Region final marks the first meeting between perennial national-power Delta State, which is seeking its 14th region championship, versus Nova Southeastern, a program making its second appearance all-time in the “Big Dance.” While DSU and NSU do have any on-court history, the game is the 15th all-time versus a Sunshine State Conference school. The Lady Statesmen are 13-1 all-time versus the SSC, but that one loss was a 69-59 defeat at the hands of Rollins College in last year's South Region semifinal.
While the two schools play contrasting styles offensively, their defense has led them to the brink of an NCAA Elite Eight berth. The Sharks have held the opposition to 61.8 points per game, while forcing 22.6 turnovers per game, while the Lady Statesmen allow 55.8 points per game and force 20.1 turnovers per contest.
Both teams feature two all conference selections. The Sharks, who average 78.4 points per game, feature two All-SSC guards in Mexiandra Porter, a 5-foot-6 senior guard from Chantilly, Va., and Danielle Robinson, a 5-foot-8 sophomore from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Porter is the leading scorer for the Sharks at 17.4 points per game. The former Colorado State transfer also averages 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Robinson, the SSC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, is no slouch offensively either, averaging 13.7 points and 5.3 rebounds for coach LeAnn Freeland, who is 39-19 in just two seasons as head coach at NSU.
Led by a pair of All-GSC forwards in
Rhandi Ball and
Seneca Walton, the Lady Statesmen average 65.1 points per game. Walton, a 6-foot-1 power forward from Clarksdale, Miss., leads the Lady Statesmen in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rbp). Ball, a sophomore from Pontotoc, Miss., is averaged 11.3 points and 7.2 boards per game.
Under the direction of head coach David Midlick, the Lady Statesmen are back in the South Region title game after a one-year layoff. Delta State has made it to Division II's “Sweet 16” for the eighth time in nine seasons, while owning the NCAA record for tournament wins with 57. The green-and-white are 57-22 in 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 13 Elite Eight berths, 10 Final Fours and three national championships.
Midlick, who is in his first season as Lady Statesmen head coach, established a new bench mark for first-year coaches at DSU, topping Lloyd Clark's record for wins with 21 after Saturday's 81-58 victory over UAH. The Memphis, Tenn., native has guided the Lady Statesmen to a 21-9 mark so far this year.
|
OFFENSIVE COMPARISON | PER GAME |
DELTA |
NOVA |
|
Points per game |
65.1 |
78.4 |
|
Field Goal Percentage |
40.1 |
45.5 |
|
3-point FG Percentage |
30.6 |
34.1 |
|
Free Throw Percentage |
68.9 |
71.6 |
|
Rebounds |
39.0 |
36.8 |
|
Turnovers |
15.6 |
16.8 |
|
Assists |
12.1 |
17.1 |
|
Steals |
11.1 |
12.1 |
|
DEFENSIVE COMPARISON | PER GAME |
DELTA |
NOVA |
|
Points Allowed |
55.5 |
61.8 |
|
Field Goal Percentage Defense |
37.3 |
41.1 |
|
3-point FG Percentage Defense |
29.0 |
30.3 |
|
Rebounds Allowed |
36.7 |
35.3 |
|
Turnovers |
20.1 |
22.6 |
|
Assists |
9.1 |
9.3 |
|
Steals |
6.9 |
8.3 |
