BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Union University Lady Bulldogs (23-3) captured their first Gulf South Conference title, defeating Delta State University (19-10), 62-50, in the championship game on Saturday, March 7 at the Pete Hannah Center.  The Lady Bulldogs, ranked No. 7 nationally, made seven second-half 3-pointers and 13-of-15 free throws to pull away from the Lady Statesmen.
 
"We gave it our best effort today and hope that the NCAA Tournament committee gives us a chance to keep playing this season," DSU head coach Craig Roden said. "Give credit to Union, they played very well today and made the adjustments necessary to win the game."
 
Kelsey Risner led UU with 15 points while Amy Philamlee added 14 points and five assists. Anissa Jackson paced the Lady Statesmen with 15 points. Rhandi Ball finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.   
 
Inside the Matchup: VisitSpaceCoast.com GSC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship

• Women's Score:  Union 62; Delta State 50 (Final)
• Records: Union Lady Bulldogs (23-3/1^st seed); Delta State Lady Statesmen (19-10/3^rd seed)
• Date: Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 1 p.m. (CST) Tipoff
• Location: Pete Hannah Center – Samford University | Birmingham, Ala.
• Series: Delta State leads the series 5-3; 0-1 postseason play
• Video Highlights: GoStatesmen TV on YouTube
   

How It Happened

• After a sluggish first half offensively, the Lady Bulldogs pulled away in the second half, outscoring DSU 46-36, to claim their first GSC crown. UU was 13-of-20 in the second half from the floor for 65 percent and held DSU to 15-of-35 (42.9 percent).
• Union shot 43.6 percent for the game after hitting 17-of-39 shots, including 9-of-25 from 3-point range. The Lady Bulldogs were 19-of-22 from the free throw line as well.
• Delta State closed the game shooting 34.3 percent on 22-of-64 attempts. The Lady Statesmen were 2-of-16 from 3-point range and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.
• DSU outscored UU 30-14 in the paint and 10-3 off turnovers. The Lady Statesmen also out-rebounded the Lady Bulldogs 36-31.
• Kelsey Risner led Union with 15 points, while Amy Philamlee scored 14 points and handed out five assists.
• Sophomore guard Anissa Jackson led DSU with 15 points and grabbed five rebounds. The Jackson, Mississippi native was 7-of-11 from the floor.
• Rhandi Ball finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists for the Lady Statesmen.
• Seneca Walton had nine points and nine boards in the loss.
• Delta State placed Chelsey Rhodes and Seneca Walton on the GSC All-Tournament Team.
• Defense was the name of the game in the first half, as Union led the Lady Statesmen 16-14. Both teams shot below 25 percent in the frame. DSU managed 24.1 percent on 7-of-29 from the floor and UU connected on 21.1 percent on 4-of-19 from the field.
• The teams combined to miss 17 3-pointers in the first half. Union was 2-of-14 while Delta State went 0-of-5.
• The Lady Statesmen did not attempt as free throw in the first half, while the Lady Bulldogs were 6-of-7.
• Delta State dominated the scoring in the paint, leading 10-4 in the category at the break.
• Rhandi Ball led the Lady Statesmen with eight points at halftime. Amy Philamlee paced Union with eight points as well.
   

Beyond the Numbers

• Delta State was seeking its 16^th Gulf South Conference title this week at the Pete Hannah Center in Birmingham. The Lady Statesmen last won the league title in 2009 after defeating Arkansas-Monticello, 53-51, in overtime at the Desoto Civic Center.
• DSU reeled off four straight league championships from 2006-2009, including 12^th straight GSC semifinal appearances for the Lady Statesmen from 2004 to present.
• Delta State owns virtually every record in GSC Tournament history, including: championships (15), semifinal appearances (25), finals appearances (23), and tournament wins (54).
• The Lady Statesmen advanced to Saturday's title game with a 75-65 victory over Shorter University in the semifinals. Chelsey Rhodes led all scorers with 27 points, while Seneca Walton added 21 points and eight rebounds.
• Union defeated West Georgia 81-50 to advance to the championship game. Amy Philamlee, the GSC Player of the Year, scored a game-high 27 points in the win.  
• The Lady Statesmen faced the Hawks for the second time in postseason play this Friday in the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament. Their first postseason clash came way back in 1975-76 in the AIAW Region III Tournament at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Led by All-American Lusia Harris-Stewart, the Lady Statesmen edged the Hawks, 83-72. Delta State would go on to win the AIAW National Championship with 69-64 victory over Immaculata in the title game.
• Delta State features three players in the 1,000-Point Club, led by senior forward Seneca Walton's 1,282 points. The Clarksdale, Mississippi native ranks 25^th on the career list. Junior guard Chelsey Rhodes ranks 28^th with 1,191 points and senior small forward Rhandi Ball sits 33^rd with 1,079 points.
• The Lady Statesmen placed three student-athletes on the All-GSC Team. Seneca Walton (6-1/Sr.) and Chelsey Rhodes (5-7/Jr.) were named to the All-GSC first team, while Rhandi Ball (6-0/Sr.) received second team All-GSC honors.
• Senior Rhandi Ball, a four-time GSC Academic Honor Roll recipient, was named a Capital One/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-Region selection earlier this month. The Pontotoc, Mississippi native carries a 3.84 GPA in biology.
• Craig Roden is in his first season as head coach of the Lady Statesmen. The Guntersville, Alabama native is 515-458 all-time, and 315-281 in 18 seasons as a head coach in the Gulf South Conference. Roden is making his third championship game appearance in the last four years. His 2012 West Alabama squad captured the league title after eliminating the Lady Statesmen in the semifinals. UWA made the title tilt again in 2013, but fell to Alabama-Huntsville in the contest.

 
Who's Next

• The Lady Statesmen will see if they've done enough to get their ticket punched to the 2015 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Tournament on Sunday, March 8 at 9 p.m. Delta State was ranked ninth in last week's NCAA South Region Poll. The top eight teams in the final rankings will advance to the tournament.