CLEVELAND, Miss. -- An Airen Brooks three-pointer with 16 seconds to play lifted the Delta State University men's basketball team (2-5) to a 68-67 win over Christian Brothers (2-5) on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021.

Maalik Cartwright had a monster game, pouring in 29 points with six assists to lead three Statesmen in double figures. Austin Laatsch and Brooks finished with 12 points apiece.

THE BASICS:
Score: Delta State 68 | Christian Brothers 67
Records: Statesmen 2-5 (2-5 GSC) | Bucs 2-6 (2-6 GSC)
Series: DSU leads 62-45
Location | Time: Walter Sillers Coliseum-Lloyd Clark Court | 6:30 p.m.
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Delta State held two leads in a first half that saw the game tied four times.
• The game was tied 7-7 at the 16:21 mark and a Kelen Dietrich three-pointer tied the game, 10-10 at the 14:38 mark.
• CBU shot 65.2 percent from the floor and made 5-of-9 3-pointers while the Statesmen shot 57 percent and made six threes.
• The Statesmen trailed 22-16 before battling back to tie the game at 24 on an Laatsch three with 8:01 left in the first half.
• A Maalik Cartwright gave the Statesmen a short lived 26-24 lead with 7:13 to play.
• CBU outscored DSU 12-4 to build a 38-30 lead on a Christian Jones layup with 1:51 to go before halftime.
• Delta State ripped off an 8-0 run to tie the game 38-38 at intermission. Cartwright had a dunk followed by a Laastch 3-pointer and a buzzer-beating jumper by Dietrich.
• The second half started with three ties. A Laatsch 3-pointer knotted the game at 44-44 before CBU gained a 47-44 lead at the under 16-minute media timeout.
• Cartwright scored 10 of the Statesmen's first 15 points as the Statesmen took a 52-51 lead at the midway mark of the second half.
• Jaylen Lemons chipped in a 3-pointer to put the Statesmen ahead 58-56 with 8:46 remaining.
• Aiden Ruthsatz gave the Bucs a 65-61 advantage with under five minutes left in the second half.
• Brooks scored the next four points for the green-and-white to knot the game, 65-65 at the 2:45 mark.
• The Bucs took a 67-65 lead following two Nick Deifel free throws with 2:17 showing on the second half clock.
• Brooks made a clutch 3-pointer with 16 seconds to go give the Statesmen the lead for good, 68-67.
• Lemons stole the ball from Daryl Lewis but missed the front end of the one-and-one after getting fouled, giving CBU one last attempt to win.
• Jesse Ivey IV's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark as the Statesmen held on for the one-point win.  

TURNING POINT

• Brooks' three-pointer with 16 second remaining gave the Statesmen the lead for good with 16 seconds left.

STAT OF THE GAME

• The Statesmen outscored CBU 52-24 in the paint and shot 59.2 percent (29-of-49) from the floor, including 61 percent in the second half.  

NOTABLES

• Cartwright had 29 points, four rebounds and six assists to lead the Statesmen.
• Laatsch and Brooks each had 12 points as the only other Statesmen to score in double figures.
• Michael Motley pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and dished out six assists.
• Ruthsatz scored 17 points and Deifel add 15 points to lead CBU.

UP NEXT
The Statesmen and Christian Brothers wrap up the two-game series on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.