CLEVELAND, Miss. – Airen Brooks turned in a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Anderson McCoy chipped in with a career-high 21 points and four assists to lead the Statesmen (1-2) of Delta State University to a  76-71 victory over the Dragons (2-1) of Lane College on Thursday, Nov. 14 in the home opener at Walter Sillers Coliseum. The win was also the first under new head coach Mike Nienaber at DSU.

THE BASICS:
Score:  Delta State 76 | Lane 71
Records:  Statesmen (1-2) | Dragons (2-1)
Series: Statesmen lead series 6-3
Location | Time: Sillers Coliseum | 7 PM
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Anderson McCoy scored the first points of the year at Sillers Coliseum, giving the Statesmen an early lead with a deep 3-pointer off the left elbow.
• At the 15:44 media timeout, Delta State held a 5-4 edge on the Dragons. Both teams were shooting 33 percent from the floor after making just 2-of-6 attempts.
• After trailing for 7:06 of the 1^st half, Lane's Serijne Athj canned a 3-pointer to put the Dragons up 10-8 with 12:56 to go.
• Lane maintained its two-point lead, 10-8, at the 11:50 media timeout. The Statesmen were just 1-of-7 from the floor during a 6-0 run for the Dragons.
• After falling behind by as many as five, Zach Varnum's thunder dunk put the Statesmen back on top, 21-20, with 7:32 to go in the half.
• Lane reclaimed the lead with an 8-0 run over the next 1:14 on the clock to lead 28-21 with 6:01 remaining in the half.
• The Dragons held their largest lead of the 1^st half, 36-25, at the 3:30 media timeout. DSU had 10 turnovers at that point, leading directly to 13 Lane points.
• Delta State held Lane to two points over the final 3:30 of the half, as the Dragons led 38-31 at the break. Both teams shot 35 percent in the opening half, but the Dragons scored 13 points off 11 DSU turnovers to build their halftime advantage.  
• Edajh Fawkes led LC with nine points at the half followed by Tyler Henry with eight and Ariston Johnson seven.
• McCoy paced the Statesmen with eight points while Airen Brooks and Zach Varnum had four points and seven rebounds apiece.
• The Statesmen opened the 2^nd half on a 12-3 run to take a 43-41 lead with 17:26 remaining in the half. Brooks powered DSU with five during the run with McCoy adding four.
• A free throw from Andre Johnson and a breakaway layup for Fawkes put Lane back on top, 44-43, at the 15:25 media timeout.
• Back-to-back 3-pointers from Austin Laatsch and Keyshaun Street gave the Statesmen a 49-44 lead with 13:37 to play.
• An 8-0 run by the Dragons reclaimed the lead for Lane, 54-53, with 10:00 left in the 2^nd half.
• Brooks and McCoy fueled a 12-5 run for the Statesmen to help DSU retake the lead 65-59 with 3:54 to play.
• McCoy's driving layup with 1:22 to go kept the margin at four points, 71-67, for the Statesmen.
• Delta State closed out the waning moments of the game to claim the 76-71 victory.                                     

 
STAT OF THE GAME

• The Statesmen outscored the Dragons 45-33 to claim the come-from-behind victory.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
 

• Austin Laatsch joined McCoy and Brooks in double figures with 10 points while Zach Varnum finished the night with a career-high 14 rebounds and six points.
• Tyler Henry, Edajh Fawkes and Ariston Johnson all finished with 13 points each for Lane.
• Thursday's matchup on the hardwood is the first since a, 97-65, Delta State victory over the Dragons on Nov. 11, 2005. The Statesmen own a 5-3 edge in all-time series standings and has won the last two meetings between the programs. DSU has not ventured up to Jackson, Tenn., to face Lane since the 1996-97 season, a 92-91 victory on Jan. 28.
• Coming off a dramatic march to the league championship and with veteran coach Mike Nienaber taking over the program, Delta State was picked to finish 7th in the annual Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.  The University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers were tabbed as the conference favorites in the 2019-20 poll. UAH (134) was followed by West Alabama (128), Valdosta State (126), Union (103) and West Florida (88) in the top five. West Georgia (82), DSU (74), Lee (74), Montevallo (70), Christian Brothers (56), Mississippi College (37), Auburn Montgomery (30) and Shorter (12) rounded out the poll

 
UP NEXT
 

• Delta State will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Magicians (2-0, 0-0 SIAC) of LeMoyne-Owen College. Tipoff is set for 4 PM at Bruce Johnson Hall. The game marks the 13th meeting between the schools and the first since 2016, an 89-61 Statesmen win. DSU leads the series 7-5.