CLEVELAND, Miss. – Delta State University outscored the Mississippi University of Women, 45-34, in the 2^nd half, as the Statesmen (3-2) caged the Owls (0-4), 69-55, on Monday, Nov. 18 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Airen Brooks led DSU with 17 points and a career-best 17 rebounds while Savvas Georgiadis (13) and Austin Laatsch (11) joined him in double figures.

Carlos Wilkerson paced the Owls with 12 points.

THE BASICS:
Score:  Delta State 69 | Mississippi University-Women 55
Records:  Statesmen (3-2) | Owls (0-4)
Series: DSU leads 1-0
Location | Time: Sillers Coliseum | 7 PM
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neither team found an offensive rhythm in first 5:40 of the 1^st half, as the Statesmen held a 4-2 lead at the media timeout. Both teams were shooting a chilly 12.5 percent from the floor.
• Over the next 4:53, the Statesmen outscored the Owls 12-5 to extend their lead to 16-7 with 10:26 to play in the half. Savvas Georgiadis had five during the run with Austin Laatsch adding three.
• MUW answered out of the break with a quick six points, including from Jonte Moultire, to cut the deficit to five, 18-13, at the 7:51 media timeout.
• Keyshaun Street's backdoor layup put the Statesmen up five, 22-17, with 3:17 left in the 1^st. DSU continued to struggle from the floor, shooting 37.5 percent (9-of-24).
• MUW cut the deficit to three, 24-21, at the half after Moultrie scored his sixth point of the night.
• The Statesmen held the Owls to 30 percent (9-of-30) in the 1^st half while shooting 33.3 percent (10-of-30). DSU was 2-for-12 from 3-point range, but MUW was 0-for-9.
• Georgiadis led all scorers with nine points for Delta State with Moultries' six points leading MUW.
• JaQuan Hines gave the Owls their 1^st lead of the night, 25-24, with a strong finish off the glass with 19:10 to play in the game.
• Airen Brooks' 3-pointer at the top of the key reclaimed the lead for the Statesmen, 31-30, as the two teams hit the 15:50 media timeout.
• A pair of 3-pointers from Laatsch and helped the Statesmen maintain a 39-36 lead with 11:24 to go.     
• With 7:40 to play, Brooks canned a 3-pointer to put DSU back up by seven, 47-40.
• Delta State continued its' 9-0 run, as Anderson McCoy dropped a dime into Georgiadis for an easy layup to put the Statesmen up 13, 53-40, with 6:16 to play.
• Carlos Wilkerson ended a 3:32 scoring drought for the Owls with a short jumper cutting DSU's lead to 59-42.
• The two teams traded possessions over the final 3:03, as the Statesmen claimed the 69-55 victory.  

 
STAT OF THE GAME

• The Statesmen used a 15-0 run late in the 2^nd half to build a 19-point lead en route to victory.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
 

• Brooks collected his 2^nd double-double in DSU's last three games with 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
• Georgiadis turned in a double-double as well with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Athens, Greece native also handed out a career-high four assists.
• Anderson McCoy finished with nine points and a game-high six assists.
• Tuesday's matchup on the hardwood is the first in the history of the two schools in men's basketball. MUW reinstated sports, including opportunities for their male students, in the fall of 2018.
• The Statesmen are coming off back-to-back victories over Lane College (76-71) and LeMoyne-Owen College (85-77).
• With 5:56 to go in the 2^nd half, MUW's Keith Harris, who finished the night with a team-high 11 rebounds, was issued a technical foul and ejected from the game.

 
UP NEXT
 

• Delta State opens Gulf South Conference play this Saturday, Nov. 23 against the Falcons of the University of Montevallo. Tipoff is set for 4 PM at Trustmark Arena. Philip Tang will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network starting at 3:45 PM on WMJW 107.5 FM and online at GoStatesmen.com.