ROME, Ga. – Brett Warner scored 18 points to lead the Delta State University men's basketball team (7-4, 3-1 GSC) to a 66-57 Gulf South Conference win over Shorter University (2-9, 0-4 GSC) at the Winthrop-King Centre on Saturday.
The Statesmen turned a 19-11 first-half deficit into a 25-21 lead courtesy of a 12-2 run to hold a 29-27 lead at intermission.
Delta State kept the momentum going om the second half, going on a 10-2 run to start the half to take control for good.
Justin Slocum added 14 points and nine rebounds followed by
Armon Benford with 10 points and nine boards.
THE BASICS
Score: Delta State 66 | Shorter 57
Records: Statesmen 8-4, 4-1 GSC | Hawks 2-10, 0-5 GSC
Series: DSU leads 8-5
Location | Time: Rome, Ga. | 3 pm
Get Social: Twitter -
@DeltaStateMBB |
Facebook – DSUStatesmen |
Instagram – DSUAthletics
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Shorter led by as many as seven points in the opening half, taking a 12-5 lead after a Tayvaughn Major free throw at the 11:16 mark.
- Byron Price's 3-pointer put the Hawks ahead 19-13 with 9:11 remaining.
- Cedric Harper scored four points during a 6-0 run by the Statesmen to tie the game 19-19, with 4:34 left in the first half.
- Delta State's run ended up being a 12-2 run that surged the Statesmen to a 25-21 lead after an Armon Benford 3-point play and a Rasheide Bell 3-pointer with 2:12 to go in the half.
- Shorter tied the game 25-25 before Harper made two free throws to put the Statesmen back in front 27-25 at the 1:20 mark.
- A Harper dunk with nine seconds left gave DSU a 29-27 halftime lead.
- The Green-and-White started the second half on a 10-2 to take a 40-29 lead following back-to-back jump shots by Justin Slocum with 16:05 to go in the contest.
- The lead grew to 45-34 on a Warner 3-point play with at the 14:30 mark of the second half.
- A Major basket cut the Statesmen lead to 49-44 with 9:47 to go in the game.
- Back-to-back 3-point field goals by Mathew Wilson and Warner pushed the DSU lead to 55-46 with just under eight minutes to play.
- Shorter never climbed any closer than seven points the rest of the way.
- Delta State went 5-for-7 from the free throw line in the final minute to preserve the lead.
TURNING POINT
- The Statesmen erased a 19-11 deficit with a 12-2 run to go ahead 25-21 with 2:12 to go in the first half. The Statesmen held a 29-27 halftime lead and would never trail again.
STAT OF THE GAME
- The Statesmen lead never got below seven points following its 12-2 run to start the second half.
- Delta State made 10-of-13 free throws (76.9 percent) in the second half and held a 33-21 advantage on the boards.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Warner's 18 points moved the senior past Jack Madgen (1,063 points/2012-2016) for 14th on the all-time scoring with 1,069 points. The Collierville, Tenn., native, went 2-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc to tie Madgen for third in career 3-pointers attempt with 467.
- Slocum finished with 14 points and nine rebounds followed by Benford with 10 points and nine rebounds.
- Major had 15 points and grabbed seven boards to lead Shorter.
- The Statesmen now lead series 8-5 lead.
UP NEXT
The Statesmen remain on the road to take on the University of West Georgia on Monday at 6:30 pm CT in Carrollton, Ga.
Philip Tang will call the action on the Statesmen Sports Network beginning 4:15 pm CT.
