Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Delta State University women's basketball team held on to defeat Lee (Tenn.) University 81-77 on Saturday afternoon to punch its ticket to the Gulf South Conference Championship game for the first time since 2015-16. 

Nia Johnson lef the way for Delta State with 25 points, including a 15-for-19 mark at the free throw line. The Lady Statesmen make their 24th appearance in the title game on Sunday afternoon and try to add to their 16 GSC titles. 

THE BASICS:
Score:  Delta State 81, Lee 77
Records:  Lady Statesmen 23-6 (14-6 GSC) | Lady Flames 26-4 (17-3 GSC)
Series: Lee leads 7-6
Location | Time: Pete Hanna Center | 2:25 PM
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Delta State scored quickly on the first possession of the game with a layup from Nia Johnson
• It took Lee two and half minutes before they got their first bucket.
• Quantesha Patterson scored and was fouled to give DSU their biggest lead of the half at six points.
• Neither team shot well in the first quarter as DSU was 4-13 from the field while Lee was 4-14.
• The Lady Flames came out quickly in the second quarter and went on an 11-4 run behind Haley Schubert's 11 points. They pushed the lead out to eight points with 4:30 left in the second quarter.
• Zyaire Ewing started to chip away at the deficit, scoring six straight points for the Green-and-White.
• DSU was 11-for-13 from the free throw line in the first half while Lee was 9-for-14.
• Shaniyah Buford hit a three right before the end of the half to make it a three point deficit for Delta State at 33-30.
• The Lady Statesmen came out hot in the third quarter with two separate 5-0 runs in the first three minutes to take a six point lead and force a timeout from Lee.
• Delta State ended up outscoring Lee 24-12 in the third quarter.
• T'Kyra Hicks hit a three point shot as time expired in the third to give DSU a 54-45 lead.
• After Johnson hit a two free throws, Shaniyah Buford got a steal and a bucket to give DSU a 12 point lead with five and half minutes left in the game.
• Two more free throws from Buford made it a 68-56 game with 2:30 left in the game.
• Lee then started hitting three point shots and cut the lead down to six.
• The Lady Statesmen did not have a field goal the last 2:30 of the game but hit 16 free throws to win it.

TURNING POINT

• Two separate 5-0 runs from Delta State in the third quarter gave them a six point lead and they never trailed again throughout the rest of the contest. 

STAT OF THE GAME

• The Lady Statesmen were 36-50 from the free throw line while Lee was 14-21.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Johnson was 15-for-19 from the free throw line.
• Schubert was the leading scorer for Lee with 25 points.
• Patterson was one point away from another double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
• DSU had 44 rebounds to Lee's 36.

UP NEXT

• Delta State plays Union University in the Gulf South Conference Championship game on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 PM.