CLEVELAND, Mississippi. – The Delta State University men’s basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak with an 86-71 win over the Shorter University Hawks on Thursday.

The Statesmen used a 12-5 run to boost momentum, leading 19-8 with 13:56 to go in the first half. With 4:40 remaining, Delta State gained its largest lead, 21 points, off two free throws from PJ Davis to lead 41-20. The Statesmen went into halftime with a 50-35 advantage. DSU led for a total19:37 in the first half.

Second-half action started out much like the first. Davis got the offense going with a slam dunk at the19:49 mark, extending DSU’s lead to 52-37. The Hawks started to gain momentum, but a 3-pointer by Schmidt with 14:30 on the clock silenced the Hawk’s threat.

Both teams traded baskets, but Delta State was able to maintain an average lead of at least 13 points for the majority of the second half. A 10-3 run increased DSU’s lead to 76-57 with 3:33 remaining in the contest.

The Hawks attempted a comeback, but a technical foul proved costly for the Hawks.The Statesmen matched their largest lead of 21 off a free throw by Jack Madgen with 3:24 left in the game, making the score 81-60.

A 3-pointer by John Cornish put the Statesmen up 86-64 with two minutes remaining. Although Shorter responded with a 7-0 run, the comeback effort was too little too late, and Delta State won 86-71.

Three Statesmen scored in double digits. Schmidt led all scores with 27 points, followed by James Kilpatrick and Davis with 11 each. Davis added 12 rebounds to tally his third double-double of the year.

Three players scored in double figures for Shorter, led by Phil Taylor with 14 points. Trevor McDade added 13, and Amonte Potter contributed 11. The Hawks shot 43% from the field, while the Statesmen made 56% of their field goals.