CLEVELAND, Miss. — The Delta State University women's basketball team used a dominant second half to pull away from Valdosta State, defeating the Blazers 61-44 in the Gulf South Conference Championship Quarterfinals Monday night at Walter Sillers Coliseum.

With the win, the Lady Statesmen improve to 18-10 overall, and advance to the conference semifinals against Union, while Valdosta State falls to 16-13.

In a tightly contested first half that featured four lead changes, Delta State held a slim 23-20 advantage at the break. The Lady Statesmen created separation in the third quarter, outscoring the Blazers 20-13 behind strong interior play and defensive pressure to take a 43-33 lead into the final period.

Delta State continued to build its cushion in the fourth, stretching the lead to as many as 21 points with 4:55 remaining following a three-pointer from Madi Kate Vuncannon. The Lady Statesmen closed out the game by shooting 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final quarter.

Four Lady Statesmen scored in double figures, led by Kennedee Shelton's 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Dakiya Toney added 12 points and six rebounds, while Jariyah Williamson posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Olivia Allen chipped in six points, all from the free throw line, going a perfect 6-for-6 at the stripe.

Delta State shot 36 percent (18-of-50) from the field and converted 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the free throw line. The Lady Statesmen matched Valdosta State on the glass with 35 rebounds apiece and held a 28-24 edge in points in the paint. DSU's bench contributed 18 points in the victory.

Valdosta State was led by Erin Whalen's 16 points. Jada Williams added 12 points for the Blazers. VSU shot 32 percent (16-of-50) from the field and 25 percent (3-of-12) from three-point range.

Delta State controlled the game defensively throughout the second half, holding the Blazers to just 24 total points after halftime and limiting second-chance opportunities.

The Lady Statesmen will return to action Thursday night as they hit the road to take on the Lady Bulldogs from Union University in the GSC Championship Semifinals.