CLEVELAND, Miss. – Junior center Mitchell Keller scored 11 points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds, including nine offensively, to lead the Delta State University men's basketball team to the 80-74 victory over Auburn University of Montgomery on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
THE BASICS:
Score: DSU 80 | AUM 74
Records: Statesmen (10-13, 8-7 GSC) | Warhawks (9-14, 5-10 GSC)
Series: Delta State leads 5-1
Location | Time: Sillers Coliseum | 7:30 p.m.
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TURNING POINT:
- Delta State's work on the offensive boards proved to be the difference in the win, as the Statesmen grabbed 23 offensive rebounds which led to 20 second chance points.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The Statesmen placed five players in double figures, led by P.J. Davis with 17 points. Brett Warner and Matthew Wilson chipped in with 16 points each while Armon Benford added 12 points and Mitchell Keller 11.
- Desmond DeRamus (18) and Reagan Eubanks (14) led all Warhawks in points.
- DSU outscored AUM in the paint 38-28 and outrebounded the Warhawks 54-34.
- Delta State never trailed in the contest and the game was briefly tied for the first 34 seconds of the night.
INSIDE THE FLOW:
- Fueled by Mitchell Keller's eight points, the Statesmen jumped out to a 19-8 lead at the 11:55 mark of the first half. In that same period, DSU shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from the floor while holding AUM to just 25 percent (3-of-12).
- DSU built its lead to 39-23 with 3:02 to play in the first half. Offensive rebounding played a major role in the run, as seven offensive rebounds led to nine second chance points for the Green & White.
- With a 24-8 edge in scoring inside the paint, the Statesmen led 44-31 at halftime. Wilson & Keller paced the Statesmen with 10 points apiece while Davis added nine points and grabbed six rebounds.
- A driving layup by Cameron Burkett gave the Statesmen their largest lead of the night, 22 points, with 10:43 to play in the game.
- AUM found an extra gear at the 10-minute mark, going on a 17-10 run over the next 4:43 to cut the DSU lead to 72-62 with 5:34 to play in the second half.
- The score remained 72-62 at the final media timeout of the game with 3:21 to play. The Statesmen had not scored a point in 5:29.
- Reagan Eubanks' 22-footer with 2:26 to go cut the DSU lead to seven, 72-65.
- Davis' rebound and put back ended DSU's 6:56 field goal drought and extended the lead back to eight, 75-67, with 1:07 on the clock.
- Delta State iced away the 80-74 win at the free throw line, making 5-of-6 over the final minute of play.
NOTABLES:
- Junior center Mitchell Keller turned in his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The Bunbury, Australia native was 5-of-9 from the field and his effort to keep the ball alive late in the game was a key to the victory.
- Freshman guard Matthew Wilson turned in a career-high 16 points in his third start as a Statesman. The Farmington, Ark., native was 5-of-13 from the field and 4-of-9 from 3-point range in the win.
- Senior forward P.J. Davis, who ranks 12th in career scoring with 1,211 points, moved into ninth place on the career rebounding chart with 698, passing John Coles (1978-1981).
- Delta State, which leads the Gulf South Conference in scoring defense, has held opponents to less than 80 points in its last eight games.
- Delta State defeated Auburn-Montgomery, 71-64, on the road in their first meeting of the season on Dec. 16, 2017.
WHO'S NEXT:
- The Statesmen will hit the road for a three-game swing starting on Thursday, Feb. 8 at the University of West Alabama. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Livingston, Ala., at Pruitt Hall.
