GAME NOTES:
No. 15 Delta State at Gulf South Conference Tournament (3.6-9.14)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The No. 15 Lady Statesmen of Delta State University are gearing up for this year's Gulf South Conference Tournament. Delta State (22-4, 17-3 GSC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after claiming the regular season title. The Green-and-White will face the No. 8 seed West Alabama (5-21, 2-18 GSC) in the opening round.
TIPOFF
The Green-and-White closed out the 2013-14 season on a five-game win streak. DSU clinched the Gulf South Conference Regular Season Title with a 60-46 win at Union.
For the second year in a row, head coach David Midlick led his Lady Statesmen to a Regular Season Championship with a 22-4 overall record and a 17-3 record in league play, securing the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament.
The Raymond James 2014 Gulf South Conference Championships will be held March 6-9 at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., for the second consecutive year.
Postseason accolades were awarded to
Seneca Walton and
Chelsey Rhodes. Walton and Rhodes were both named to the All-GSC First Team, while Walton received honor of being named Gulf South Conference Player of the Year.
The 6-1 junior center finished the season on a high note, leading the conference in rebounding (9.8 rpg), field goal percentage (51.4%), and posting 13 double-doubles on the year.
Both Walton and Rhodes have eclipsed several career milestones this season. Rhodes reached 600-career points and is games away from reaching 700-career points as she currently has 677.
Walton reached milestones 700 and 800-career points and 500-career rebounds earlier this season. Most recently, Walton reached 900-career points and 600-career rebounds in DSU's 68-43 win over Valdosta.
Senior
Shanae Govan and
Chadisty Hickman left everything on the floor for their last game at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Govan drained 10 points, brought down 6 rebounds, and added 5 assists and 3 steals, while Hickman dropped 8 points, 1 rebound, and grabbed 5 steals in Delta State's 56-54 win over West Florida to wrap up regular season play.
As a team, Delta State finished first in the league in scoring defense (53.2 ppg), field goal percentage (44.1%), field goal percentage defense (33.3%), rebounding defense (33.6 rpg), and assists (14.65 apg).
Nationally, DSU leads all of NCAA Division II women's basketball in scoring defense, holding its opponents to 53.2 points per game.
Head coach David Midlick is games away from having the most wins in the first two seasons for a head coach at DSU. Margaret Wade earned 44 wins over her first two seasons at Delta State from 1973-1975. Midlick currently has 43 wins.
The Lady Statesmen will open the GSC tournament against the No. 8 seed West Alabama on Thursday, March 6 at 12:30 p.m. Delta State swept the series with the Tigers during regular season play.
With a win on Thursday, DSU would play Saturday, March 8 in semifinal action against the winner of North Alabama and Christian Brothers to be played on Friday.
LADY STATESMEN SEEKING 16th GSC CROWN
Delta State will be looking for its 16th Gulf South Conference Championship this year as they are the reigning Gulf South Conference Regular Season Champions. The Lady Statesmen were also chosen by the head coaches in the conference to finish first in the GSC.
The Lady Statesmen boast 15 league titles are 11 more than the next closest league member. Arkansas Tech, who is no longer in the GSC, had four with Valdosta State and West Georgia having two each.
Year Opponent Result
1983 Valdosta State L, 83-85
1986 Valdosta State W, 87-69
1987 West Alabama W, 93-53
1988 Jacksonville State W, 98-69
1989 West Georgia W, 77-72 OT
1992 West Georgia L, 52-64
1993 Jacksonville State L, 65-67
1995 Mississippi College W, 86-64
1996 Central Arkansas W, 86-68
1997 Valdosta State W, 76-53
1999 Arkansas Tech W, 63-59
2000 Arkansas Tech W, 70-66
2001 Arkansas Tech W, 60-52
2002 Arkansas Tech W, 53-47
2004 Henderson State L, 52-53 OT
2006 Henderson State W, 64-53
2007 Arkansas Tech W, 66-59
2008 Arkansas Tech W, 80-61
2009 Arkansas-Monticello W, 53-51 OT
2010 Arkansas Tech L, 73-75 2OT
2011 Arkansas Tech L, 62-73
LADY STATESMEN OWN GSC TOURNAMENT RECORD BOOK
The Lady Statesmen made their 26th appearance in the
GSC Tournament last season, boasting a league best 15 championships and an all-time mark of 51-11 in GSC postseason play. DSU has appeared in a record 24 semifinals and 21 finals. DSU's 15 championships are 11 more than any other GSC school.
GSC Tournament Appearances: 26*
GSC Tournament Record: 51-11 (.823)*
Semifinal Appearnaces: 24*
Finals Appearances: 21*
Last Finals Appearance: 2010-11/ATU 73-DSU 62
GSC Championships: 15*
Last Title: 2008-09/DSU 53 - UAM 51 (OT)
Preseason Picks
Delta State was chosen by the other teams in the conference to finish first in the GSC as they were named the 2012-2013 Regular Season Champions. DSU earned the honor for its performance last season as they put up a 21-10 overall record and 13-5 record in conference play.
Three Lady Statesmen were chosen to the All-GSC Preseason team, the only squad to have three players selected.
Seneca Walton,
Rhandi Ball, and
Chelsey Rhodes received the honor for the outstanding play last season.
EXPERIENCE SWEEPS GSC HONORS
Lady Statesman
Seneca Walton's hard work and 13 double-doubles on the year has paid off as she was named the 2013-14 Gulf South Conference Player of the Year. Walton was also named to the All-GSC First Team along with sophomore guard
Chelsey Rhodes.
The ten-member team that is made up of five first team members and five second team members is comprised of all juniors and seniors, with the exception of one sophomore. Six well-deserving seniors received this accolade as well as three juniors and the lone sophomore,
Chelsey Rhodes.
First Team All-GSC
Position Name School Year
F/C Seneca Walton Delta State JR
G Chelsey Rhodes Delta State SO
G Tessa Holt West Florida SR
G Jordan Smith Huntsville SR
G Breanna Ridgell CBU JR
Second Team All-GSC
Position Name School Year
G Jasmine Hammon Huntsville SR
F/C Nichelle Fillmore UNA SR
G Lauren Faris UNA JR
G Toynetta Johnson West Florida SR
G Erica Burgess CBU SR
GSC Player of the Year: Seneca Walton, Delta State
GSC Freshman of the Year: Katie Bobos, West Florida
GSC Coach of the Year: Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, West Florida
CLEVELAND - TITLE TOWN
The Delta State University Lady Statesmen have dominated the Gulf South Conference over the years. The Lady Statesmen own virtually every GSC and NCAA Tournament record in the books. In NCAA history, DSU has appeared in a league-record 24 NCAA regionals with an all-time record of 57-21 (.731).
The Lady Statesmen have made 13 NCAA Elite Eight appearances and nine Final Fours, including 2007-08 and 2008-09, and four championship appearances.
The Lady Statesmen have claimed three NCAA National Championships (1989, 1990, and 1992) and three A.I.A.W. crowns (1975, 1976, and 1977). No other school in the GSC has claimed a national championship in women's basketball.
THERE'S ONLY ONE...
In the modern era of Lady Statesmen Basketball, Delta State has suffered just one losing season since 1975-76 and that was in 1979-80 under former head coach Frances Garmon.
DSU is the only school in NCAA history to top 1,000 wins, as the Lady Statesmen boast a 1,063-265-3 record. The Lady Statesmen also hold the GSC record for all-time wins with a 688-144 mark.
Delta State claimed their first GSC title played at the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss., back in 2001-2002 and the first at the Desoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss., in the 2005-2006 campaign.
OLYMPIC & NBA LINKS
Former Lady Statesmen great Lusia Harris-Stewart holds the distinction of scoring the first basket in Olympic Women's Basketball history. Harris was also drafted by the NBA's New Orleans Jazz following the 1977-78 season, becoming the first female drafted into the National Basketball Association.
WELCOME TO THE HANNA CENTER
The Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., will serve as the site for this year's Gulf South Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championship Tournament for the second year in a row. This year's tournament will be March 6-9.
The state-of-the-art 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena is the home of the Samford Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball and volleyball teams. The venue is also used for Samford's commencement ceremonies and other local arts and music events.
CHAMPIONS YET AGAIN
For the second year in a row, head coach David Midlick has led his Lady Statesmen to a Gulf South Conference Regular Season Title with an overall record of 22-4 and 17-3 record in conference play. The Green-and-White posted a 21-10 overall record and a 13-5 conference record last season to call themselves the regular season champions.
Delta State clinched the regular season title and the No. 1 seed in this year's conference tournament with a 60-46 decision over Union University on Saturday, Feb. 22.
STATISTICALLY SOUND
Throughout the 2013-14 campaign, the Lady Statesmen have proven a point by ranking high in several GSC categories and a few NCAA Division II categories.
Delta State closes out the season with the best numbers in the Gulf South in scoring defense (53.2 ppg), field goal percentage (44.1%), field goal percentage defense (33.3%), rebounding defense (33.6 rpg), and assists (14.65 apg). Nationally, DSU leads all of DII women's basketball in scoring defense, holding its opponents to 53.2 points per game.
WALTON WATCH
Along with being named to the All-GSC First Team and claiming the Gulf South Player of the Year accolade,
Seneca Walton has kept her name at the top of several statistical categories in the conference.
Walton finished the regular season putting up double-doubles in half of Delta State's games this year, 13 double-doubles in 26 games. She closes out the regular season and conference play with the top spot in rebounding (9.8 rpg), field goal percentage (51.4%), and finished No. 8 in scoring with 14.6 points per game.
TAMING THE TIGERS
Delta State being the best team in the league and West Alabama being the worst team in the league, the Lady Statesmen and Tigers will meet on the hardwood for the third time this season in the opening round of the Gulf South Conference tournament. DSU earned the series sweep over UWA during the regular season.
The first meeting at Pruitt Hall in December had the Green-and-White coming out on top 77-43.
Seneca Walton contributed a double-double, 19 points and 10 rebounds, while
Rhandi Ball added 14 points. The Tigers were led by Quentinette Odom with 10 points. DSU shot 64.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from long range, and 75 percent from the line, holding the Tigers to a 29.2 shooting percentage.
In game two at Walter Sillers Coliseum, Delta State won big again, claiming the 63-38 victory.
Seneca Walton dropped 20 points to lead all scorers, the only Lady Statesmen to see double figures. The Tigers were led by Quentinette Odom with 15 points. Delta State shot 45.7 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from downtown, and 66.7 percent from the line.
DSU leads the series with UWA 45-4 with a two-game win streak.
MIDLICK ERA
Head coach David Midlick is games away from being put in the record books as having the most wins in the first two seasons for a head coach at DSU. Women's basketball legend, Margaret Wade, earned 44 wins over her first two seasons at Delta State from 1973-1975. Midlick currently has 43 wins.
