On Jan. 28, the Lady Statesmen basketball squad faced up against the North Alabama Lady Lions, hungry for a rematch. Only a couple of weeks ago, the Lady Statesmen fell short to the Lady Lions in their home court match up. The Lady Statesmen lost by a mere eight points, so they were eager to make up for that on Saturday.

The game started out slow, as neither team put up any points in almost a full three minutes. Alondrea Rush, a sophomore guard for the Lady Statesmen, put the team on the board with a huge 3-pointer. After a hard fought first quarter by the Lady Statesmen, the score was at a lofty 16-4, with Delta State out in front.

The Lady Lions would not stand for it long, though. The beginning of the second quarter proved their hunger to win, as they jumped out on a 9-0 run. However, the Lady Statesmen held onto their lead. At the end of the first half the score was 22-17. Aspriona Gilbert, a.k.a. Ace, led the Lady Statesmen in points at the end of the first with six. Rush added five to that total.

The Lady Statesmen came out fighting in the second half, going on a 13-4 run. The Lady Lions sought a come-back, though, after hitting back-to-back three’s late in the third. The quarter ended with Delta State up 46-32.

With great intensity, the Lady Lions charged after come-back, going on an 8-2 run in the fourth quarter. There efforts were not enough, as the Lady Statesmen held onto their lead all the way to the finish line. The game ended with the close score of 55-52, and the Lady Statesmen got their hunted revenge.

Check out their next game today at the Walter Sillers Coliseum, here in Cleveland. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m.