Box Score MEMPHIS, Tenn. – PJ Davis hit a trio of free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game to finish with 31 points, and the Delta State University men's basketball team erased a four-point deficit in the game's final eight seconds to steal a 55-53 win over Christian Brothers in Gulf South Conference action on Valentine's Day at Canale Arena. 

THE BASICS:

    Score: Delta State 55, Christian Brothers 53
    Records: Statesmen (12-14, 10-8 GSC) | CBU (18-8, 10-8 GSC)
    Series: Delta State leads 59-40
    Location | Time: Canale Arena | 7 p.m.
    Get Social: Twitter - @DeltaStateMBB | Facebook – DSUStatesmen | Instagram – DSUAthletics
 
TURNING POINT:
 

• Down four with eight seconds to play, Delta State got a Brett Warner three-pointer and three PJ Davis free throws as part of a 6-0 run in the game's closing seconds as the Statesmen escaped Canale Arena with a 55-53 win. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
 

• The Statesmen got 31 points and eight rebounds from hometown product PJ Davis, which led all scorers and was just two shy of his career-high.
• Matthew Wilson chipped in 10 points for DSU. Brett Warner, who scored two points in the game's first 39-plus minutes, but hit a driving layup and a right wing three-pointer to finish with seven points.
• Diebal led the way for CBU with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Jeff Larkin and Joe Laravie each contributed 10 points.  
• The lead changed hands 11 times on the night, and was tied six times, including seven first half lead changes.
• The Statesmen narrowly out-rebounded the Bucs 31-29, including a eight to five on the offensive glass.
• Delta State went 22-for-50 (44 percent) for the game, including 4-for-14 from three (29 percent) and 7-for-13 (54 percent) at the free throw line. 
• CBU went 21-for-47 (45 percent) from the field and was just 6-for-20 (30 percent) from three. DSU went 5-for-7 from the free throw line (71 percent) as a squad.

INSIDE THE FLOW:
 

• Delta State shutdown the Bucs offense in the game's opening six minutes, building a 9-0 run early behind a pair of PJ Davis buckets, a Cameron Burkett three-pointer and a Matthew Wilson jumper. 
• The Statesmen built a 20-9 lead with 8:34 to go in the first half, but Christian Brothers used a 7-0 run in just over two minutes to cut the lead down to four, 20-16, with 6:25 to play in the opening half.
• CBU used that 7-0 spurt as part of a 17-4 run to take a 26-24 lead with less than 30 seconds left on the clock.
• PJ Davis' grabbed an offense rebound and laid it up to beat the first half buzzer and tie the game at 26-26 as the two teams went to the locker room. 
• Both teams continued to go back and forth to start the second half, as the lead changes three times in the opening five minutes of the final 20 minutes.
• A driving layup by Armon Benford gave DSU a 38-37 advantage with 11:05 to play in the contest, but Jeff Larkin answered on the opposite end with a left corner three to steal the lead back 40-38. 
• Matthew Wilson drilled a triple from the right wing with just over four minutes to go, helping Delta State open up a 47-42 lead with 3:22 left in the contest. 
• Alex Trentman got a driving layup and drew a foul for CBU with 2:13 to play, and hit the free to cap the three-point play and tie the game at 47-47. 
• A pair of Jeff Larkin free throws put CBU back on top 49-47, and a Joe Laravie layup off of a Brad Miller steal made it 51-47 Bucs with 15 seconds to play. 
• Warner came down and hit a driving layup to cut it to two points. Miller added two free throws for CBU to go back up by four with eight seconds to play, but Warner had another answer.
• Warner drilled a right wing three-pointer to cut it to one, 53-52, with four seconds to play. 
• PJ Davis drew a foul in the right corner with 0.4 seconds left to play, and hit all three free throws as DSU took a 55-53 lead. 
• CBU's full court heave fell just short, and the Statesmen moved into a fourth-place tie with CBU in the GSC standings at 10-8.

NOTABLES:
 

• Davis used 15 first half points to move into 10th on the DSU all-time scoring list, passing former Statesmen, Ole Miss and NBA standout Gerald "World Class'" Glass. PJ finished the game with 31 points and now sits at 1,274 career points. He needs five points to pass Don Cooper (1970-1972) for 9th all-time.
• Armon Benford pulled down a career high 11 rebounds in the contest. 
• With the win, the Statesmen have clinched a spot in the upcoming GSC tournament.

WHO'S NEXT:
 

• The Statesmen return home to close out the regular season against Lee and Mississippi College. The Statesmen host the Flames on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m., and then host Mississippi College for a #BEATmc White Out and Senior Night at Walter Sillers Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.