Box Score By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – Playing against the nation's No. 12-ranked team that sits atop the Gulf South Conference standings, the Shorter Lady Hawks gave visiting Delta State a scare Saturday afternoon when DSU had to fight off upset-minded Shorter to claim a 59-56 decision.

The Lady Hawks, now 5-15 overall and 3-11 in the GSC, return to action Thursday trying to snap a six-game losing skid in Huntsville, Ala., when Shorter visits GSC foe Alabama-Huntsville.

Delta State (17-3, 12-2) found itself squaring off against a determined group of Lady Hawks early when Shorter refused to allow the Lady Statesmen an opportunity to take control.

The two teams served notice in the opening 20 minutes of play as both squads established five-point leads, with Shorter taking the early advantage in the opening only to see Delta State take the same advantage with less than 10 minutes until the break.

A layup with 6:10 to go in the first half by Kristin Nash erased that deficit giving the Lady Hawks a 21-19 lead and from there the teams traded baskets and with three seconds to go Ieshia Alexander drove into the lane to score and create a 29-29 deadlock at the half.

The see-saw affair continued after the intermission but after Shorter grabbed a 35-33 lead with 16:23 remaining on a three-pointer by Maggie Peeples, the Lady Statesmen proceeded to go on a16-4 run that ended when Rhandi Ball canned a pair of free throws to give her team a 49-39 edge with under 10 minutes to play.

But the Lady Hawks refused to break and slowly began to cut into the difference and with 2:17 to go in the game Madison Rice stepped up for Shorter from long range when she hit another shot from beyond the three-point arc pulling the Lady Hawks to within two, 53-51.

DSU's Anissa Jackson made it a four-point margin, 55-51 when she sank two foul shots with 1:49 remaining and again Shorter stayed within striking distance when Kristin Nash hit two shots at the charity stripe with 14.5 to make it a two-point difference again.

Two seconds later, Shanae Goven converted two more free throws increasing Delta State's lead and following a Shorter turnover on their next possession. The Lady Statesmen sealed the win at the line when Seneca Walton added two more points that gave DSU the six-point spread, although Shorter ended the afternoon when Alexander scored on a three-pointer.

Nash led the Lady Hawks with 14 points, Alexander added 12 and Rice finish with 11 as Shorter ended the game connecting on a solid 46 percent of its shots.

Walton paced Delta State with a game-high 20 points, 14 of those coming in the first half, while Jackson  had 13 and Ball 10.