ROME, Georgia – The Delta State University men's basketball team fell 83-74 on the road to give Shorter University their first Gulf South Conference win at Winthrop-King Centre.
 
Inside the Matchup:
 
    Score: Shorter 83 | Delta State 74
    Records:  Hawks (7-1, 1-1 GSC) | Statesmen (6-2, 1-1 GSC)
    Series: DSU leads series 5-4
    Location: Winthrop-King Centre | Rome, Ga.
 
 
How It Happened:
 

• The Statesmen opened the game on a 16-8 spurt that saw baskets from Cedric Harper, Devin Schmidt and Brett Warner.
• Shorter quickly took over the lead halfway through the first half on a 20-4 run that saw hot shooting from Phil Taylor and Alijah Bennett making the score 28-20.
• The Hawks took their biggest lead of the half on a jumper by Mike Wickliff, making the score 38-26 with 0:59 left in the first half.
• The Hawks went in the locker room at halftime with a 39-28 lead over the Statesmen.
• Schmidt led all scorers with 18 first half points, shooting 3-for-7 beyond the arch. Warner followed with five points and five rebounds, then Kilpatrick (4) and Harper (2).
• The Statesmen were quick to respond at the start of the second half with a Harper layup and Kilpatrick jumper closing the 33-38 gap.
• Both offenses were back-and-forth for the majority of the second half, but the Hawks went on a 13-5 run and ultimately closed out the game with the victory, 83-74.
• The Statesmen finished 24-of-71 (34 percent), while the Hawks were 28-of-65 (43 percent). Shorter finished 10-of-29 shooting (35 percent) from long-range, while Delta State were 6-for-22 (27 percent)
• Four Statesmen finished the game in double figures. Schmidt led the way with 21 points. PJ Davis had 14 points, followed by Kilpatrick and Warner with 13.  Warner, Davis and Harper also pulled down seven boards.
• Phil Taylor led the Hawks with 30 points. Bennett finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
• Shorter capitalized off 11 Delta State miscues, scoring 11 points. The Hawks held a 19-10 edge on second chance points.

 
 
Notables:     
      

• Warner's seven rebounds tied a career high.
• Schmidt passed Billy McDaniel (2002-05) to move to fifth place on the Gulf South Conference all-time scoring list with 2,065 points.

 
Who's Next:
 

• Delta State conclude the GSC road trip on Saturday, Dec. 17, when it travels to Lee University. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.