TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

LIVE AUDIO

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Making its 16th overall trip, the University of West Alabama women's basketball team is set to make its sixth straight appearance in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Tigers will square off against No. 3 Delta State on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss.

UWA (18-8, 6-6 GSC) owns the East Division's No. 3 seed while the Lady Statesmen (24-2, 12-2 GSC) are the third-seeded team from the West Division.

The two teams met in last year's tourney, a game that DSU easily won by an 85-57 score, and the pair played a regular season contest in Livingston earlier this season. It required a buzzer-beating shot, but the Lady Statesmen handed West Alabama what was its first loss of the season in a 58-56 game.

Veronica Walker led all scorers in the contest as she dropped 20 on UWA, while the Tigers were led by All-GSC player Latashia Greer who scored 17. Fellow All-GSC honoree LaShandra McCoy scored 15 in the contest as did the East Division Player of the Year Mystee Dale.

It was Greer and Keiara Middleton that led the Tigers in last season's tournament setback as both scored 14 points, but it was not enough to overcome Delta's strong duo on the day in the form of Moe Bell and Walker. That pair scored 33 and 26 respectively.

Though the Tigers have struggled some down the stretch – going 4-6 since starting the season at 14-2 – the play of Dale has continued to be dazzling. The Laurel, Miss., native has maintained her place as the nation's second-leading scorer (21.2 points per game), and she is also eighth among all NCAA II players with a free throw percentage of 86.9.

The game can be heard across West Alabama and East Mississippi on ESPN 104.9 FM or at www.espn1049.com while live stats and a video webcast will be available at www.gscsports.org.