MEMPHIS -- Maalik Cartwright poured in 28 points and went a perfect 13-for-13 from the field as the Delta State University men's basketball team took down Christian Brother University 78-65 on Friday night at Canale Arena.
Freshman point guard Jaylen Lemons added 20 points and five steals for the Green and White.
THE BASICS:
Score: Delta State 78 | Christian Brothers 65
Records: Statesmen 1-4 (1-4 GSC) | Bucs 0-3 (0-3 GSC)
Series: DSU leads 61-44
Location | Time: Canale Arena | 6 p.m.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Cartwright and Lemons combined to score the first 16 points for the Statesmen, as Maalik scored six and Jaylen scored 10 as DSU took a 16-5 lead at the 14:33 mark of the first half.
- A Cartwright jumper at the 8:56 mark gave the Statesmen a 12-point, 26-14 lead over the Bucs.
- CBU then used a 14-2 sprint to tie the game on a pair of free throws by Christian Jones.
- Both teams battled to keep it tight down the stretch of the first half, and with CBU leading by five, Lemons drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to draw within two of the homestanding Bucs.
- The game continued to teeter-totter back and forth, as Michael Motley hit a jumper that put DSU up 53-50 with 10:48 to go.
- Jones promptly tied the the game at 53-53 with a three-pointer with 10:30 to play.
- The Statesmen responded with a 21-2 run from the 10:30 to play to the 2:39 mark of the second half as the Statesmen took a 74-55 lead.
- CBU closed the game on a 10-4 run, but it was too little too late for the Bucs.
TURNING POINT
- With the score knotted 53-53, Delta State's 21-2 run secured the game for the Statesmen.
STAT OF THE GAME
- Cartwright was 13-for-13 from the field in the win and tallied 28 points on the night.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- Jaylen Lemons scored 20-plus points for the second consecutive game, while Cartwright registered his third 20-plus point performance of campaign.
- Cartwright's 13 field goals on 13 attempts tied for the most in a game in GSC history without a miss.
UP NEXT
The Statesmen visit Christian Brothers again on Saturday, Jan. 23 at Canale Arena on 2 p.m.