CLEVELAND, Miss. – Senior guard Alondrea Rush calmly drained an 8-foot floater in the lane with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Delta State University women's basketball team to a 71-68 victory over the University of Alabama in Huntsville on on Thursday, Jan. 24 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Four Lady Statesmen (11-7, 6-5 GSC) scored in double figures led by Nia Johnson with 22 points. Rush finished with 17 followed by Frederica Haywood with 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Ernesha Chatman with 12.
 
Holly Harris led UAH with 19 points while Baylee Johnson added 15.   

THE BASICS:
Score:  Delta State 71 | Alabama Huntsville 68
Records: Lady Statesmen 11-7, 5-5 GSC | Chargers 10-8, 5-5 GSC
Series: Delta State leads 21-5
Location | Time: Sillers Coliseum | 5:30 PM
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Alondrea Rush jumpstarted the Lady Statesmen with a trio of 3-pointers, as Delta State built an early 16-6 lead on Alabama Huntsville at the 2:35 media timeout.
• UAH cut the deficit to 16-8 on Heidi Miller's layup with 2:18 to play in the first quarter. Miller's field goal was just the fourth of the quarter for the Chargers.
• Nia Johnson scored 12 points in a row for the Lady Statesmen, as DSU led by 15 at the end of the first, 25-10.
• A quick five points from UAH's Emme Willoughby cut into the Lady Statesmen lead at the start of the second quarter, as the Chargers trailed 27-15 with 7:18 to go in the half.
• The Lady Statesmen answered with an 11-2 run to take a commanding 38-17 lead with 4:14 to play in the second quarter. Rush had five of DSU's 11 during the stretch while Ernesha Chatman had four.
• UAH ended the first half on an 11-2 run, as the Lady Statesmen held a 40-28 lead at the break.
• Rush and Johnson led all scorers with 14 points apiece for the Lady Statesmen.  
• DSU shot 47.1 percent in the first half from the field 16-of-34) and 55.2 percent from 3-point range (5-of-9). UAH managed 41.9 percent on 13-of-31 attempts from the floor but made just 2-of-13 attempts from 3-point range.
• Baylee Johnson paced UAH wit eight points.
• Katie Speegle's 18-foot jumper cut the DSU lead to 10, 43-33, with 8:18 to play in the third.
• Kristin Brown's layup and back-to-back baskets by Chatman extended DSU's lead back to 16, 49-33, with 5:17 to go in the period.
• UAH countered with a 3-pointer and layup from Johnson and short jumper by Willoughby, as the Lady Statesmen maintained a 51-40 lead with 2:24 to play in the third.
• The Chargers kept coming, as a pair of Aryn Sanders free throws made it an eight-point game, 51-43, with just over two minutes left in the quarter.
• Delta State ended the quarter with a long jumper by Johnson, as the Lady Statesmen led 58-45.
• UAH found a spark at the start of the fourth quarter, outscoring DSU 6-2 to bring the deficit to nine, 60-51, with 7:56 to play in the game.
• UAH's Holly Harris made it a seven-point game, 64-57, nailing a short jumper with 5:17 on the clock.
• After Haywood's layup extended the lead back to nine, UAH went on a 7-0 run sparked by five points from Harris and two from Speele. The Lady Statesmen maintained a 64-62 lead with 3:12 to go.
• With 1:29 to play and trailing 66-65, UAH's Emiline Payne missed a pair of free throws that would have given the Chargers the lead.
• Haywood's rebound and put back with 30.2 seconds remaining, gave the Lady Statesmen a three-point edge 68-65.
• Harris tied the game for the Chargers at 68-68 with 13.9 second remaining on a deep 3-pointer off the left elbow.
• After two point-blank shots at the basket by Johnson and Haywood, Rush collected the missed shot and drained an 8-foot floater to give the Lady Statesmen a 70-68 lead. She completed the 3-point play to lift DSU to the 71-68 win.   
• DSU closed the game shooting 45.5 percent (30-of-66) from the floor while UAH shot 45 percent (27-of-60). The Chargers were 7-of-25 from 3-point range and 7-of-13 from the line. The Lady Statesmen went 5-of-11 from 3-point range and made 6-of-11 at the stripe.    

TURNING POINT

• After UAH tied the game at 68-68, Rush collected her third rebound of the game and drained an 8-foot floater to send the Lady Statesmen to the win.

 
STAT OF THE GAME

• The Lady Statesmen outscored the Chargers 13-7 on second chance points, which proved to the difference in the win for DSU.  

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Johnson collected her fourth 20-plus point game, as the junior turned in a game-high 22.  
• Rush, a senior from Horn Lake, scored 17 points to inch closer to Amber Gean (2001-2005/1,195) on the career scoring chart. Rush is currently 29^th with 1,126 points.
• Haywood, a senior from Mound Bayou, collected her third double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. It was also her eighth double-digit rebounding effort of the year.
• Delta State out-rebounded UAH 42-32. 

UP NEXT

• Delta State returns to Walters Sillers Coliseum for Family Fun Day versus Lee University on Saturday, Jan. 26. Tipoff is set for 2 PM. All tickets to Saturday's game are $3. Philip Tang will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network (WMJW 107.5 FM) starting at 1:45 PM.