Delta State wins 16th GSC Tournament title

3/5/2016 8:21:10 PM

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Chelsey Rhodes was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after scoring 29 points to lead Delta State to its 16^th Gulf South Conference Tournament championship, beating top-seed Union University, 69-63, in overtime of the 2015-16 VisitSpaceCoast.com Gulf South Conference Championship final.

BY THE NUMBERS

Teams	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Delta State (22-6)	17	14	15	13	10	69
Union (28-3)	19	8	14	18	4	63

Game Leaders	DSU	Union
Points	Chelsey Rhodes \| 29 Aspriona Gilbert \| 13	Jada Smith \| 15 Tiara Caldwell \| 14 Jada Perkins \| 14
Rebounds	Kaelin Kneeland \| 7	Tiara Caldwell \| 7 Jada Perkins \| 7
Assists	Chelsey Rhodes \| 5	Jada Perkins \| 3 Jada Smith \| 3

KEY MOMENTS
Delta State led for most of the first half, but by no more than two possessions. Chelsey Rhodes swiped a steal from Jada Smith and drew a foul with 40 seconds left in the half. She knocked down both free throws and added a jumper to give the Lady Statesmen a 31-27 halftime lead. Three minutes into the third quarter, Rhodes scored on back-to-back possessions to break a tie and spark a 7-0 rally. DSU maintained its lead until Union’s Jada Perkins hit a 3 with 3:57 to play to give the Lady Bulldogs a 54-52 lead. Moments later Rhodes hit her third 3-pointer and a layup to regain Delta State’s lead. Union’s Tiara Caldwell tied the game twice in the final 1:30, including a jumper in the paint with 11 seconds to play in regulation. Rhodes was called for a charge on the alternating possession, helping send the game to overtime. DSU went on an 8-0 run to start overtime while holding Union to 0-8 shooting from the floor.

QUOTABLE
“The think I’m most proud of is these two seniors (Chelsey Rhodes and Becca Ruckes). I wanted to see them get this so bad because of the work they’ve put in.

“Sometimes when you go into overtime, there’s not a calm about, but there was a calm about them like, ‘okay, they caught us, but we’re still going to do this.” – Craig Roden, Delta State head coach

NOTABLE
-It was the first GSC Women’s Basketball Championship final to go to overtime since 2002 and only the fourth time in tournament history.
- Delta State wins its 16^th GSC Women’s Basketball Tournament title and first since 2008-09.
- The win is No. 537 of Coach Craig Roden’s career and his second GSC Tournament title, winning the 2012 title as head coach of West Alabama.
- The Lady Statesmen were appearing in their 24^th GSC Tournament final and eighth in the last 10 years.
- The DSU win avenges a 62-50 loss to Union in the 2015 VisitSpaceCoast.com GSC Women’s Basketball Championship final.
-DSU earns its 27^th bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
- Delta State women's basketball joins the 2015-16 Gulf South Conference Champions Club.

UP NEXT
Delta State, ranked No. 6 in the South Region, receives an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. Union, ranked No. 1 in the region, awaits an at large bid and opportunity to host the tournament in Jackson, Tennessee. Tournament selections and region host sites will be announced on the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Selection Show Sunday night, March 6 at 9 p.m. CT on NCAA.com.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Erin Walsh, Lee
Taylor Adams, Shorter
Kelsey Risner, Union
Jada Smith, Union
Alondrea Rush, Delta State
Chelsey Rhodes, Delta State – Most Outstanding Player