Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Semifinal action at the Gulf South Conference Tournament featured the No. 1 seed Delta State taking on and defeating the No. 5 seed North Alabama, 66-58.

This marked the 53^rd meeting all time between the Lady Statesmen and the Lions with DSU leading the series 45-7. Delta State swept the series with UNA during the regular season, but the last meeting saw DSU handing North Alabama a heartbreaker, taking the 60-58 win at Flowers Hall.

The final score of the semifinal matchup was not reflective of the closeness and high intensity of the matchup between the Lady Statesmen and the Lions as there were eleven lead changes and seven ties in the forty minutes of play.

North Alabama came out with an explosive offense to start the contest to take the 11-7 advantage over Delta State at the first media timeout.

An aggressive Lions defense forced several Delta State turnovers that resulted in two Lions buckets to take the 16-7 lead over DSU.

Walton drained a 15-foot jumper to inch back within nine, 18-9, to head into the second media timeout.

A UNA steal and fastbreak bucket put the Lions up 20-9 but baskets on back-to-back possessions from Shanae Govan and Seneca Walton quickly put the Green-and-White within seven.

At the third media timeout, North Alabama had earned nine points off of eight DSU turnovers.
A foul-plagued first half put the Lady Statesmen in the bonus, putting Chelsey Rhodes and Becca Ruckes at the charity stripe with five minutes left in the first half. Rhodes and Ruckes nailed both free throws cutting the lead to five, 24-19.

With the lead back at seven, Rhodes found Govan in her sweet spot, sinking a ten-footer, nothing but net, to cut the deficit back to five. Anissa Jackson drained two free throws to put the Green-and-White within three, 26-23, with 2:13 to go in the half; the first time the lead was cut to less than five since the 18:03 mark.

Delta State went into the locker room at half time losing 29-25, trailing at the half for just the fifth time this year.

Neither team shot exceptionally well in the first half, DSU shooting 37.5 percent from the field and UNA shooting 38.7 percent. North Alabama's 11 points off of Delta State's 11 turnovers gave them the four point advantage.

Back-to-back buckets from Seneca Walton and Chelsey Rhodes opened the second half, going on a 4-0 run to tie the game at 29-29 before UNA called a timeout.

North Alabama answered with a three before Chelsey Rhodes banked in a basket, drawing the foul and later completing the old-fashion three-point play. At the first media timeout of the half, the score was deadlocked at 32-32 with the momentum in DSU's hands.

With the score tied and Rhandi Ball at the free throw line, Delta State gained its first lead of the game at the 15:48 mark, 33-32.

Walton extended the DSU lead with a bank shot to lead 37-34 over the Lions with 13:33 remaining in the game.

The tables turned in the second half with the Lady Statesmen being plagued with fouls. Seven lead changes and five ties were highly attributed to free throws.

A long three from Chelsey Rhodes put the lead back with Delta State, but North Alabama responded with a three to retake the lead with 5:24 to go. Rhodes answered right back with the old-fashioned three-point play.

At the under four media timeout, the score was deadlocked for the seventh time in the game at 54-54.

Rhodes hit her third three-pointer of the game to reach a new career-high 29 points to put the Green-and-White up 57-54 with 3:44 to go in the contest.

The Green-and-White held on to defeat the Lions 66-58 to advance to the Gulf South Conference Championship game, the first time since 2011.

Delta State shot 43.4 percent from the field on the day and held North Alabama to 30.5 percent.
Sophomore guard Chelsey Rhodes finished the game with a new career-high 33 points as she went 12-of-20 from the field, 3-of-8 from behind the arc, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Her efforts as well as Seneca Walton's 14^th double-double of the year, 14 points and 11 boards, guided the Lady Statesmen to their seventh win in a row.

Head coach David Midlick now holds the record for most wins by a head coach in the first two seasons with 45 wins.

Delta State advances to the championship game on Sunday, March 9 at the Pete Hanna Center where they will face the winner of West Georgia and West Florida.