CLEVELAND, Miss. – Junior point guard Steven Samuels scored a season-high 24 points, while teammate Ryan Fitch added 20 in West Alabama's 74-58 romp over Delta State Saturday evening.
 
Down 36-33 at the half, UWA was forced to change its game plan with junior center Darrion Booker playing with four fouls and Kyle Belcher sent to the locker room following an ejection. The Tigers responded with a defensive switch in the second half, forcing 25 Delta State turnovers down the stretch.
 
Those Statesmen miscues quickly turned into UWA points as the Tigers went on a 16-2 run between the 13 and 8 minute marks of the final period. That final surge put the game out of reach and gave the Red and White the 74-58 triumph.
 
That second half onslaught was an exact reversal from the opening period for West Alabama. Playing against a Delta State team that is winless in conference play, UWA fell behind for most of the first 20 minutes. After a brief scuffle on the floor caused both teams to draw technical fouls, DSU took control for the remainder of the period, taking a slim 36-33 advantage into the locker room.
 
From there, Delta State looked to be in control for the first 10 minutes of the second frame, but failed to overcome the UWA surge in the loss.
 
With the win, West Alabama moves to 4-11 on the year and holds a 2-2 record in GSC play. Delta State falls to 4-9 overall and moves to 0-4 in the conference.
 
For the game, UWA had three players score in double figures with junior guard Jared Woolfolk adding 13 points to a combined 44 from Fitch and Samuels. Meanwhile, Delta State had the game's leading scorer as Terry Leake put in a 26-point effort on the night.
 
Next up, West Alabama faces an out-of-conference test against Auburn-Montgomery on Monday evening. Tip time for that contest is slated for 7 p.m. in the capital city.