Box Score

CLEVELAND, Miss. – Freshman guard Anissa Jackson, a former standout from Jackson's Forest Hill High School, scored a career-high 12 points to help lead the No. 17 Lady Statesmen of Delta State University to a 68-43 victory/loss over the Lady Blazers of Valdosta State University Thursday, Feb. 27 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. 

The win pushed DSU to 21-4 on the season and 16-3 in Gulf South Conference play, while VSU slipped to 11-14 and 6-13 in league play.  The Lady Statesmen have already clinched the GSC's regular season title and the upcoming tournament's No. 1 seed.   

"Proud of the way we played defensively tonight," DSU head coach David Midlick said. "With one game in the regular season, we still have areas we can improve upon before tournament time."

Delta State used two big runs to build a nine point, 30-21, lead at halftime.  The Lady Statesmen opened the first half on a 9-0 streak before the Lady Blazers went on a 7-0 run to cut it to two with 15:39 to play.

DSU, using a 15-7 stretch over the next 11:12, extended the lead to 10 points, 24-14.  The Lady Statesmen were a blistering 7-of-9 from the floor during the period, including eight points from Seneca Walton. 

The Lady Statesmen finished the half shooting 54.5 percent after making 12-of-22 attempts.  DSU was 1-for-2 from 3-point range and 5-of-6 at the free throw line. 

Chelsey Rhodes and Walton, who also had seven boards, were tied with eight points each to lead DSU.

DSU's defense kept VSU out of rhythm for most of the first half.  The Lady Blazers made 9-of-25 field goal attempts for 36.0 percent, but never caught fire from 3-point range, as VSU made 2-of-8 from beyond the arc.   

Kourtnee Williams paced VSU with seven points at the break. 

In the second half, the Lady Statesmen turned up the defensive intensity, forcing 12 turnovers.  Those miscues led directly to 14 points for DSU and allowed the squad to build its largest lead, 27 points, with 2:09 to play. 

Walton scored 10 points in the second half and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.  The senior from Clarksdale also blocked two shots and came away with two steals. 

VSU finished the contest shooting 37.5 percent after making 39.1 percent in the second half.  The Lady Blazers were 0-for-4 from 3-point range and just 4-of-7 at the line.

Playing 12 players in the second half, the Lady Statesmen hit on 12-of-21 from the floor to finish the night shooting 55.8 percent.  Shanae Govan scored seven in the second half with Jackson dropping in eight of her 12 in the period. 

Delta State placed three players in double figures led by Walton's game-high 18 points.  Jackson added 12 points and Rhodes closed with 10 points. 

Govan, a senior point guard from Crossett, Ark., had one of her best games as a Lady Statesman.  The 5-foot-4 speedster scored nine points and dished six assists, but it was her defense that made such an impact on the floor.  She swiped four VSU turnovers and converted all four into baskets for DSU. 

Amy Duke and Williams scored 10 points each to lead the Lady Blazers in scoring.  Duke also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots.  

The Lady Statesmen wrap up the regular season schedule on Saturday, March 1, as Delta State welcomes the Argonauts of the University of West Florida to Walter Sillers Coliseum.  In the first meeting, the Lady Statesmen fell 65-58 in Pensacola, Fla., at the UWF Fieldhouse. DSU will honor its 2013-14 senior class prior to the 2 p.m. tipoff.