Box Score / Event Stats

Lady Blazers Fall 62-44 to Delta State in South Region Championship

Risto named to All-South Region team

CLEVELAND, Miss. - No. 1 Delta State held No. 6 Valdosta State to 29.6 percent shooting as the Lady Statesmen defeated the Lady Blazers 62-44 in the championship game of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball South Region Monday evening at Walter Sillers Coliseum.

Delta State (32-0) held Valdosta State to just two free throws over the first 9:30 of play as it built a 16-2 advantage. Lakira Boyd hit a basket to open the scoring before Michelle Thompson scored on a pair of charity shots a minute later. A Boyd free throw broke the tie while Lamesha McAdory added back-to-back baskets to put DSU up five points. Jennifer Rushing added a jumper and Moe Bell a three before McAdory and Rushing ended the run with a pair of baskets.

Leschelle Matthews and Thompson hit a pair of field goals to close the Lady Blazers to within 16-6 with 9:16 to go in the contest, but VSU was held scoreless for the next four minutes. Trailing 19-6, Valdosta State used another short run to close to within eight. Thompson hit her second field goal of the first half while Nina Risto added a three-point play to close VSU to within eight.

The Lady Statesmen held VSU to just 23.1 percent shooting in the first half while hitting 41.4 percent of their own shots as they built a 27-14 halftime advantage.

Valdosta State used an 11-3 run early in the second half to close to within five points. With VSU trailing 31-18, Carley Peterson began the three with a pair of three pointers before Jessica Boyd hit a three for the Lady Statesmen. Peterson proceeded to hit her third trifecta and Risto added a jumper to close VSU to within 34-29 with 13:40 remaining in the contest.

DSU quickly pushed its lead back to 13 points as it scored 10 of the next 12 points and led by no less than seven the remainder of the game. The Lady Statesmen hit nine of 10 free throws in closing two minutes to seal the victory.

Thompson led Valdosta State with 15 points while Peterson and Risto, who was named to the All-South Region team, tallied 11 each. The Lady Blazers hit 16-of-54 field goal attempts in the contest and were hampered by 20 turnovers.

Rushing scored 15 points to lead Delta State while Bell added 13. The Lady Statesmen shot 43.8 percent from the floor and 78.9 percent from the free throw line.

Valdosta State ends its season with a 26-6 record.

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