BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Delta State University (21-6) made 6-of-8 free throws in the final minute to hold on for a 54-48 win over Shorter University University (20-8) in the semifinals of the VisitSpaceCoast.com Gulf South Conference Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday at the Pete Hanna Center. The Lady Statesmen got 25 points from senior Chelsey Rhodes to set up a rematch of last year's championship game against Union University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Inside the Matchup

• Score: Delta State 54 | Shorter University 48
• Matchup: Lady Statesmen (21-6) | Lady Hawks (20-8)
• Series: Delta State leads 10-1 | 2-0 GSC Tournament
• Date: Fri., March 4, 2016 | 2:35 p.m. (CST)
• Location: Pete Hanna Center | Birmingham, Ala.

How It Happened

• Shorter jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before the Lady Statesmen fought back to take a 7-4 lead on a Chelsey Rhodes 3-pointer with 3:26 to go in the first quarter.
• Shakierya McClendon tied the game with a steal and layup at the 1:52 mark.
• Rhodes made two free throws with 54 seconds left that would give DSU a 9-7 lead at the end of the first.
• Leading 11-10, Delta State went on a 15-2 run to build a 26-12 lead after a Rhodes 3-point play with 2:17 to go before halftime.  Rhodes netted 8-of-15 points during the run.
• An Alexis Ross jumper with 1:02 remaining gave the Lady Statesmen a 28-17 halftime advantage.
• Rhodes made a 3-pointer on the end of a 10-0 run to give DSU, its biggest lead of the game, 38-19, with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter.
• Delta State's saw its lead dwindled to 38-28 at the end of the third after a pair of Kavia Tillie free throws to cap a 9-0 Shorter run.
• With the lead cut to six, Alondrea Rush converted a 3-point play to push the lead to 49-41 with just over two minutes to go.
• Taylor Adams converted a pair of free throws to get the Lady Hawks to 50-48 with 55 seconds remaining in the contest.
• The Lady Statesmen went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final 1:03 getting free throws apiece from Aspriona Gilbert, Rhodes and Alexis Ross.

Notables              

• The Lady Statesmen are seeking their 16^th GSC Women's Basketball Tournament title and their first since 2008-09. DSU has finished as the GSC Tournament runner-up the last two seasons falling to Union in 2015, 62-50.
• Delta State earned its way into the GSC Tournament Championship for 9^th time in the last 11 years and for the 25^th time in school history. DSU is 15-9 all-time in GSC title games.
• Delta State and Shorter University met in the GSC Tournament semifinals for the second straight season. The Lady Statesmen earned a 75-65 victory in the 2015 semifinal.
• The semifinal appearance was the 28^th for the Lady Statesmen, who are now 24-4 all-time in semifinal tilts.
• Out of 108 quarters, the Lady Statesmen have held opponents to single digits in 24 quarters after holding the Lady Hawks to just seven in the opening quarter.
• Rhodes' 25 points increased her career total to 1,747, which ranks sixth on the DSU's all-time scoring list.
• Rhodes made 3-of-5 3-pointers and is 201-of-602 for her career from long range, which ranks second in both categories.
• Rush scored 14 points, three off her career-high, tied her career-high with six assists and had a career-high four steals.
• Ross' two free throws with 19.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter were her first two attempts this season.
• Mary Carol Davis finished with a team-high six rebounds and assists.
• Delta State has held 26-of-27 opponents to an average of 16.1 points below their season average. Shorter was held to 16 points below its 64.1 average.
• Head Coach Craig Roden claimed his 535^th career win.

Who's Next?

• Delta State moves on to the GSC Tournament finals against Union University on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. at Samford University's Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala. Union defeated Lee University, 69-50 to advance to the title game.