CLEVELAND, Miss. - Behind a dominant second-quarter surge and a 21-point performance from Jariyah Williamson, Delta State University secured a 56-45 conference win over Mississippi College on Thursday night inside Sillers Coliseum.

The Lady Statesmen trailed early in a tightly contested first quarter that featured four ties and seven lead changes, but seized control in the second quarter. Delta State outscored Mississippi College 14-5 in the frame, highlighted by a decisive 14-0 run that turned a 25-22 deficit into a 36-25 halftime advantage.

Delta State never relinquished the lead in the second half.

Williamson led all scorers with 21 points, knocking down five three-pointers while adding seven rebounds. Dakiya Toney provided a strong presence inside with eight points and eight rebounds, while Adyson Roberts contributed eight points and six boards. Olivia Allen added four assists to help guide the Lady Statesmen offensive attack.

Delta State controlled the glass, outrebounding Mississippi College 40-37, and made the most of second-chance opportunities, holding a 16-10 advantage in second-chance points. The Lady Statesmen also received a key boost from their bench, which outscored Mississippi College's reserves 28-14.

After Mississippi College cut the deficit to three midway through the third quarter, Delta State responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Williamson to push the lead back to nine and regain momentum.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Statesmen leaned on their defense and free-throw shooting to seal the victory. Delta State held Mississippi College to just 2-of-12 shooting in the final period and finished 13-of-17 from the free-throw line for the game.

Delta State led for over 31 minutes of game time and built its largest advantage, 12 points, midway through the fourth quarter.

The No. 3 seed Lady Statesmen will host No. 6 Valdosta State in the Gulf South Conference quarterfinals on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m.