CARROLLTON, Georgia – Senior Becca Ruckes scored 17 points to lead Delta State University (4-0, 1-0 GSC) to a 58-45 Gulf South Conference win over the University of West Georgia (0-7, 0-1 GSC) on Thursday at The Coliseum.

Inside the Matchup

• Score:  Delta State 58 | West Georgia 45
• Matchup:  Lady Statesmen (4-0, 1-0 GSC) | Wolves (0-7, 0-1 GSC)
• Series: DSU leads series 34-5
• Date:  Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015| 4:30 p.m.
• Location: The Coliseum | Carrollton, Ga.

How It Happened

• Senior Becca Ruckes and junior Aspriona Gilbert combined to score 13 first-quarter points.
• West Georgia held a 5-4 lead in the first quarter before the Lady Statesmen went on a 9-2 run to close the quarter with a 15-7 lead.
• Delta State went on a 14-2 run to build a 27-9 lead after a Ruckes layup with 5:06 left in the second quarter.
• Ruckes made 7-of-10 field goals for 15 points in the first half to help DSU take a 31-15 lead into the locker room at halftime.
• The Wolves got within 14 points in the third quarter only to see the Green-and-White, extending the lead to 41-22 on a Chelsey Rhodes three-point play at the 5:15 mark.
• The lead grew to 47-26 on back-to-back baskets by Kaelin Kneeland with 2:23 to play as the Lady Statesmen carried a 49-27 advantage into the final quarter.
• West Georgia used an 11-1 run to trim the deficit to 54-43 on a 3-pointer by Jadechia Hill with 2:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.
• Kneeland and Gilbert made consecutive layups to end the UWG run and push the lead to 58-43 with 35 seconds to go. 
• UWG's Terrianna Cave sank two free throws with 25 seconds left to make the final score 58-45.
• Ruckes' 17 points and five rebounds led four Lady Statesmen in double figures. Gilbert followed with a career-high 13 points and five rebounds, while Kneeland added a career-high 10 points and five boards.
• Rhodes finished with 10 points, three assists and three steals.
• Hill led the Wolves with 10 points, while A'kia Harris had eight rebounds.
• The Lady Statesmen shot 49 percent from the floor, making 26-of-53 shots, and went 5-of-10 from 3-point range.
• Defensively, the Lady Statesmen held West Georgia to 29 percent from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc.

 
Notables              

• The Lady Statesmen limited their fourth straight opponent to less than 36 percent shooting and under 60 points.
• Delta State is 4-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 season when the Lady Statesmen started 5-0.
• The Lady Statesmen improved to 17-3 in games played against the Wolves in Carrollto, and 2-0 under Head Roden, who coached at UWG for 14 seasons (1996-2009).
• Delta State improved to 27-7 in Gulf South Conference openers and 2-1 in its last three league openers.
• Rhodes scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and the 61st (91 games) in her career.
• Rhodes ranks 26^th on the Lady Statesmen all-time scoring list with 1,270 career points and needs 18 points to pass Ramona Von Boeckman (1,287 points) for 25^th.
• Rhodes made one 3-pointer to give her 154 career 3-pointers and now has 456 career 3-point attempts, ranking third and fourth all-time, respectively.
• The West Georgia game marked Roden's 577^th NCAA game to coach and was his 519^th win.

 
Who's Next

• Delta State finishes up a two-game road swing against the University of West Alabama on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Pruitt Hall in Livingston, Alabama. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.