Box Score
CLEVELAND, Miss. - It wasn't easy, but the Delta State University women's basketball team sent its seniors out in style, at home, with a win over the University of West Florida 56-54 on Saturday, March 1 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Next up for the Lady Statesmen (22-4, 17-3) is the 2014 Gulf South Conference Tournament.
 
After DSU honored seniors Shanae Govan, Chadisty Hickman, Aubree Ray and manager Brittney Holmes, it was time to play ball, and Delta came to play. The Lady Statesmen opened the game with a 9-2 run on the Argonauts (16-10, 11-9) and just two and half minutes into the game UWF's coach called a timeout to try and reign in the Lady Statesmen.
 
Delta State kept the scoring up, grabbing a 10-point lead at the 9:06 mark, 23-13, but from there, West Florida started coming back. With exactly five minutes on the clock in the first half, a jumper from the Argos put them within two points of the home team, and with 4:31 to go Katie Bobos completed a 12-2 run for UWF with a jumper that tied the game 25-25.
 
West Florida tied it again at 27 all, but DSU's Rhandi Ball, who had 11 points, shot 4-4 from the field and five rebounds, in the first half, nailed a free throw and then a short jumper to put the Lady Statesmen back on top. Up 30-29 with 1:26 on the clock, Delta held UWF scoreless as time expired, but DSU hit shots in those final moments and led 34-29 at halftime.
 
Helping out Ball for DSU, Govan put up eight points, Seneca Walton, Myiesha Stewart and Anissa Jackson all added four. The two teams combined for 16 turnovers in the first half.
 
Walton jump-started the second half with a quick bucket, giving Delta a seven-point lead, but West Florida kept within a few points from there on. With about 10 minutes left in the game Tessah Holt laid in a score for the Argos and drew a foul. When she completed the three-point play, the score was tied 43-43. After grabbing a defensive rebound, UWF went down the court and scored again, taking the lead 45-43.
 
Chelsey Rhodes immediately responded for the Lady Statesmen and made it a tie game, again. Hickman followed that with a long jumper at the 9:15 mark and Delta State found itself back in the lead. The Argos tied it one more time at 47-47, but Govan hit a jumper with 7:49 on the clock to give DSU the lead.
 
Back-to-back buckets from Ball had Delta up six. Hickman grabbed a steal and took it coast-to-coast for the layup and a 55-47 Lady Statesmen lead. West Florida came right back with an old-fashioned three-point play, making it a three-point game with five more minutes still to play.
 
The Delta State defense buckled down and held strong for the rest of the game. The 5:30 mark was the final time that the Argos hit a field goal in the second half. The Lady Statesmen missed a few foul shots late in the game that could have given the team a more comfortable lead but Hickman grabbed the final defensive rebound of the game and ran out the clock. The Delta State women beat West Florida 56-54.
 
DSU outrebounded the visitors 46-38 and held the Argos to 33 percent shooting. The score was tied five times in the game.
 
Ball finished the game with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Govan put up 10 points and pulled down six rebounds to go along with five assists. Walton added nine points and 10 rebounds. Hickman had eight points.
 
Holt led UWF with 20 points and Bobos had 11.
 
The win over West Florida officially completes the regular season for the Lady Statesmen. The women secured first place in the GSC tournament a few games ago and will face the University of West Alabama in the opening round on Thursday, March 6.