GAME NOTES: GSC Semifinal vs. Lee
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Delta State University women's basketball team returns to Birmingham, Ala., and the Gulf South Conference semifinals for the first time since winning the GSC Championship in 2015-16 as the No. 3 seeded Lady Statesmen go up against the No. 2 seeded Lee (Tenn.) University Lady Flames.
Delta State defeated West Georgia 84-62 on Super Tuesday to advance to Birmingham. The Lady Flames enter the contest having knocked off Mississippi College, 72-55, on Super Tuesday, but sport just a 2-2 record in their last four games.
The Lady Statesmen won the GSC title in their last trip to Birmingham in 2016, knocking off Christian Brothers University on Super Tuesday, and then dispatching Shorter University in the semifinals and Union University in the title game to capture the school's 16th GSC women's basketball title. Lee returns to Birmingham for the fifth straight year and is looking to defend its 2018-2019 GSC title.
INSIDE THE SERIES: The Lady Statesmen trail the all-time series with Lee 7-5, but they do have the only neutral site win in the series. Delta State and Lee last matched up on Jan. 25, 2020, with the Lady Flames beating a shorthanded DSU 66-44.
FAMILIAR FACE: Assistant coach Chelsey Rhodes, who was Delta State's leading scorer the last time they made it to Birmingham, now patrols the sidelines for the Green-and-White. Rhodes, who averaged 20.8 points per game in 2015-16 for the GSC Champion Lady Statesmen, is in her second season as head coach Craig Roden's lead assistant. Rhodes played for Delta State from 2012-16 and is the sixth leading scorer all-time for the Lady Statesmen.
IN THE PAINT: Delta State has done most of its work in the paint. The Lady Statesmen lead the GSC in offensive boards per game (15.0/28th NCAA) and rebounds per game (44.9/13th NCAA) while ranking 3rd in rebound margin (7.6/32nd NCAA) and 1st in total rebounds (1,257/15th NCAA).
DYNAMIC POST DUO: The duo of Quantesha Patterson and Zyaire Ewing are a force in the painted area for the Green-and-White, combining for 30.7 points and 24.1 rebounds per game. Patterson leads the GSC in rebounds per game (13.4/4th NCAA) and offensive rebounding (5.8/2nd NCAA), ranks 1st in total rebounds (375/4th NCAA) and 3rd in defensive rebounds (7.6/20th NCAA). The Maben, Miss. , native is 4th in the GSC in scoring (17.3 points per game). Against CBU, Patterson bested Caroline Boclair for the best offensive rebounding season at DSU since the 1998-1999 season when Boclair had 113. Patterson is up to 161 offensive rebounds on the season. Ewing is 3rd in the GSC defensive rebounds per game (7.6/20th NCAA), 4th in rebounds per game (10.7/19th NCAA), and 4th in total rebounds (300/ 19th NCAA). Ewing is also 3rd in the GSC in blocked shots per game (1.7) and 2nd in total blocked shots (48/43rd NCAA).
D-FENCE: DSU is 2nd in the GSC in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.6%) and scoring defense (66.6), and 3rd in field goal percentage defense (36.2). The Lady Statesmen led the NCAA in scoring defense in 2015-16 (50.3) and 2013-14 (53.7), ranked 2nd in 2011-12 (51.4), 5th in 2014-15 (55.7), 10th in 2017-18 (56.5) and 16th in 2016-17 (57.1). Since 2011-12, DSU has been in the top 10 in scoring defense five of the last eight years.
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES: Quantesha Patterson also leads the GSC in field goal percentage (65.1/2nd NCAA) and 6th in field goals made (181). Ewing ranks 16th in the GSC in field goals made (142) and 9th in field goals attempted (362).
MILESTONE WINS MARK: Lady Statesmen Head Coach Craig Roden posted his 600th career win as DSU took down West Florida 71-67 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. The Guntersville, Ala., native also captured his 400th NCAA Division II victory in the Lady Statesmen's 66-41 win over Auburn Montgomery earlier this year and became the first coach in GSC history to win 100-plus games at three different GSC institutions.
