MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Delta State University men's basketball got 30 points from Brett Warner and 16 second-half points from PJ Davis as the Statesmen slipped past the Auburn Montgomery Warhawks 71-64 to notch their second win in Gulf South Conference play on Saturday evening at the AUM Gymnasium.

THE BASICS:
    Score: Delta State 71  | Auburn Montgomery 64
    Records: Statesmen (4-7, 2-1 GSC) | Auburn Montgomery (5-5, 1-2 GSC)
    Series: DSU leads the series 3-1
    Location: AUM Gymnasium

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TURNING POINT:
 

• Brett Warner was 7-of-17 from the field, including 5-of-11 from three-point territory, and scored 21 first half points in helping the Statesmen to a 33-30 lead at the break. DSU did not relinquish the lead the rest of the way, outscoring the Warhawks 38-34 in the second half to snare the win. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
 

• Delta State made 24 of their 63 shot attempts on the evening, finishing at 38 percent for the game. DSU was 9-of-22 from three-point territory (41 percent), and went 14-of-18 from the free throw line as a team (78%), their third-highest single-game percentage of the year at the line. 
• The Warhawks were 24-of-53 (45 percent) from the field, and knocked down 10 of their 28 three-point attempts (36 percent). AUM went 6-of-9 from the free throw line as a team (67 percent).
• DSU held AUM to just 16 points in the paint, outscoring the Warhawks 22-16 in that category.
• Delta State also outscored AUM 15-4 in points off turnovers, and 6-0 in fast break points. 
• Auburn Montgomery's bench outscored Delta State's 22-8 for the game.
• Lafayette James-Core had 19 points for the Warhawks, while Darrion Taylor had nine points, five rebounds and seven assists.

 INSIDE THE FLOW:
 

• The Statesmen opened the game on an 11-2 run, helped by five points from Armon Benford and five from Brett Warner, in the opening five minutes of the game.
• The Warhawks responded, however, getting seven of their next nine points from James-Core to go on a 9-0 run and knot the game up at 11-11 with 12:09 to play in the first half. 
• Beginning at the 9:17 mark of the first half, Warner rattled off the next 16 in a row for the Statesmen, including a quartet of three-pointers, to help Delta State dig out from under a six-point deficit and take a 33-30 halftime lead.
• AUM got the lead down to two points, 39-37, with 15:30 to play in the game, but never would get any closer than four points the rest of the way as Delta State built as much as an eleven point lead. 
• Trailing by 12 with 3:06 left, the Warhawks cut it down to six behind a five-point spurt from Darrion Taylor, but couldn't get an closer late as the Statesmen came away with the win. 

NOTABLES:
 

• The lead changed nine times and was tied four times, all of which came in the first half of play.
• Mitch Keller went for career-highs in points (7) and rebounds (11) in getting his first start, and added two steals in 27 minutes. 
• PJ Davis scored 16 of his 18 in the second half, and added five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. 
• Warner's 30 points was the most this season by a Statesmen player, and the second highest of his career. 
• Freshman Matthew Wilson also had career-highs in points, rebounds and assists, going for seven points, three rebounds and five assists.
• Lafayette James-Core was the leading man for the Warhawks, tallying 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while adding two rebounds and one assist in 35 minutes. 

UP NEXT:

The Statesmen finish off pre-Christmas holiday action with their final game before the break at West Georgia on Monday, Dec. 18. The Statesmen and UWG will tip at 6 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. CT from Carrollton, Ga.