Box Score
CLEVELAND, Miss. - It's hard to come back from being down big, especially when the other team is shooting well, but the Delta State University men's basketball team gave a very valiant effort before eventually falling to the University of West Florida 67-61 on Senior Day at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
 
Jack Madgen got the crowd and the Statesmen (23-5, 16-4) going with a 3-pointer, just 30 seconds into the first half, putting Delta State on top early, but then the tables turned and West Florida proved it came into Cleveland looking for an upset. Over the next seven minutes, the Argos (7-19, 6-14) scored 16 points, unanswered. The Statesmen finally got the ball in the basket again at the 12:33 mark off a Devin Schmidt jumper but UWF answered with two buckets, grabbing a 15-point lead.
 
Willie Readus scored in the paint with about eight minutes to go, bringing it down to an 11-point lead. Schmidt followed that quickly with a 3-pointer, Zelvin Smith, Jr. added a layup and with 6:34 to play, DSU had cut UWF's lead to 25-19.
 
The Statesmen went on a little run and suddenly fans were watching a one-point game when Madgen sank another 3-pointer off an assist from Michael Weems. West Florida found a second wind and answered by extending the lead back to seven points.  Delta was not deterred and fought for a 36-31 score at halftime, trailing the visitors by five.
 
West Florida went 16-30 shooting in the first half for 53 percent, only missing three shots in its first 16 points. Delta State finished the half 12-29 from the floor for 41 percent.
 
Schmidt played all 20 minutes and led the Statesmen in the first half with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. Madgen added six points off two 3-pointers. Readus scored five.
 
The second half was just as much of a fight as the first. Cornel Knight hit a few foul shots early and Readus added a layup to make it a one-score game. Readus then completed an old-fashioned three-point play at the 16:06 mark to bring it to 40-38 on the scoreboard.
 
West Florida extended the lead back out to nine over the next few minutes, but then DSU reined it in and cut it back to four points, 50-46, with 10 minutes to play. Delta State got even closer, UWF held a slim 50-52 lead with 8:55 on the clock but the Argos' Nate Johnson, who finished with 31 points, answered and kept his team on top.
 
The Statesmen didn't give up. Keeping it close, Weems hit a jumper with six minutes to play that put DSU in a position to take the lead, down one 56-55. Madgen followed that with a layup off a turnover. With 5:59 on the clock DSU found itself with a 56-55 lead. Much like the rest of the game, West Florida answered and took back over on the scoreboard.
 
Unfortunately, Delta only ever got within one point of the visitors as time ran out. The Statesmen couldn't hit foul shots down the stretch and West Florida beat the Statesmen 67-61.
 
The stat lines are pretty similar for the two teams. DSU shot 41 percent from the field and 62 percent at the charity stripe. UWF went 45 percent shooting and 63 percent from the line. Rebounds were 40-38 in the Argos' favor.
 
Readus finished with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds for Delta State. Madgen and Schmidt both had 10 points and five rebounds. Schmidt dished out seven assists. Smith contributed eight points while Knight, Weems and Mike Washington scored five each.
 
The Statesmen have already secured first place in the Gulf South Conference in head coach Jim Boone's second year. Ironically, Delta will play West Florida in the opening round of the GSC tournament on Thursday, March 6.