CLEVELAND, Tennessee – Delta State University picked up a 72-68 road win against the Lee University Flames on Saturday.
Devin Schmidt poured in 31 points, marking his third consecutive 30-point game, sixth of the season and 11
th of his career.
Inside the Matchup- Score: Statesmen 72, Flames 68
- Records: Delta State (12-3, 7-2 GSC) | Lee (3-11, 1-8 GSC)
- Series: DSU leads series 4-1
- Location: Walker Arena | Cleveland, Tenn. | 4 p.m. ET
How It Happened - Delta State used a 9-0 run to open an intense contest, taking the early 9-0 advantage at the 15:26 mark on a James Kilpatrick layup on a fastbreak.
- Lee countered by coming within three points, 9-6, with 13:59 to play in the first half.
- For the remainder of the half, DSU's lead never exceeded eight points with the scoring margin ranging from two to eight. The Statesmen took a 37-32 lead into the locker room at halftime.
- Lee used a 3-pointer and two jumpers to tie the game and take its first lead, 39-37, at the 15:49 mark.
- Possession of the lead teetered back and forth for 2:14 until the Flames gained their largest advantage of the night, 48-43, with 13:06 on the game clock, before another series of lead changes.
- Devin Schmidt's 3-pointer with 1:43 left in the contest put the Green-and-White back on top 67-65. The Statesmen never relinquished the lead, winning their fourth straight contest 72-68.
Notables - Schmidt, Kilpatrick, and PJ Davis produced double-figure nights. Schmidt led all scorers with 31 points, while Davis added 15 points and Kilpatrick recorded a career-high 10 boards.
- A 6-foot-4 junior guard, Schmidt recorded his third consecutive 30-point game, his sixth of the season and 11th of his career. The Sevierville, Tenn., native has 1,494 career points, passing Ralph Moore (1974-'77) on the all-time scoring list at Delta State to rank fifth. He needs 306 more points to become the new record holder.
- Head Coach Jim Boone needs six wins to eclipse 500 career victories.
- Delta State is riding a four-game win streak, its longest of the season.
Game Changer- DSU scored 18 points off of 16 Lee turnovers.
Who's Next- The Statesmen travel to Rome, Georgia to face the Shorter Hawks on Monday, Jan. 11. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. ET at Winthrope-King Centre.
