LIVINIGSTON, Ala. – Delta State University's senior point guard Chris Terrell's 34-point performance was not enough as the Statesmen (6-5, 2-3 GSC) fell 78-75 to the Tigers from the University of West Alabama (7-4, 3-2 GSC) Thursday evening in Pruitt Hall in Livingston.
 
Delta State had four players in double digits as Decorian Payton scored 14, Sam Whitmer scored 12, and Kolby Horace scored 10.
 
The Statesmen fell behind early as Terrell would battle foul trouble as West Alabama would pull ahead 14-8. Payton scored 10 of the Statesmen's first 13 points early on.
 
In the final ten minutes of the first half, Terrell would score 15 points as Delta State, who was trailing by six points, would grab their first lead of the game at 34-33 with 2:25 left in the opening half.
 
The Tigers would take a 6-2 run to take a 39-36 lead into the half.
 
Delta State would go back-and-forth with West Alabama in the second half as Terrell would knock down a three to start the half to tie the game up at 39-39.
 
West Alabama would grab the biggest lead of the game with a 7-0 run to take a 46-39 lead before the Statesmen would answer with a 9-2 run by Terrell and Payton to tie the game back up at 48 with14:06 to go.
 
Je'Marion Westbrook would hit a layup a minute later to give the Statesmen their first lead since the 2:25 mark of the first half.
 
Kolby Horace would help keep the green and white in the game as he added six of his 10 points in the final frame giving the Statesmen a 52-51 lead with just over 10 to go.
West Alabama with five minutes to go would pull ahead by their largest lead of the game at 68-60 and hold on to win 78-75.
 
Delta State will continue their road trip as they travel to Huntsville, Ala., to take on the Chargers from the University of Alabama at Huntsville at 4:00 p.m. (CDT) Saturday afternoon.