MONTEVALLO, Ala. — The Delta State University men's basketball team delivered a hard-fought, resilient performance on the road Wednesday night, falling 63–60 to the Preseason GSC Favorites in the University of Montevallo inside Central State Bank Arena.

The Statesmen (4–4, 1–2 GSC) came out firing, controlling the first half behind elite perimeter shooting and disciplined defense. DSU drained six first-half threes and held Montevallo to just 23 points before the break, taking a 27–23 lead into the locker room. Je'Marion Westbrook set the tone early, burying deep shots with 14 first-half points and attacking the boards, while Bryce Clayton and sophomore Brendan Braddix heated up to power the DSU offense.

Clayton delivered a standout night, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8–of–11 shooting, including five three-pointers, while adding a block and a steal in 36 minutes of action.

Westbrook was equally impressive, pouring in a team-high 22 points, connecting on five threes, and posting eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in a dynamic two-way performance.

Delta State moved the ball well throughout the night, finishing with 13 assists, led by Samuel Whitmer's six. The Statesmen knocked down 13 three-pointers, consistently responding to Montevallo runs and keeping the game within one possession until the final horn.

Defensively, DSU battled on the glass—finishing with a narrow 32–31 rebounding advantage—and forced key stops to stay in striking distance down the stretch. However, Montevallo capitalized on shooting 48% from the field in the second half and transition opportunities to close the game.

Delta State returns to action this weekend as they will travel to Montgomery, Ala., to take on the Warhawks from Auburn University at Montgomery Sunday afternoon at approximately 4:00 p.m. (CT) inside the AUM Athletics Complex.