LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Seneca Walton and Chelsey Rhodes combined for 47 points to lead Delta State to a 72-64 Gulf South Conference women's basketball victory over West Alabama Thursday at Pruitt Hall Gym.
 
Walton scored 24 points and Rhodes 23 as Delta State improved to 9-7 overall, 7-5 in the GSC. West Alabama dropped to 7-9 and 4-8.
 
"When Rhodes and Walton are on, Delta State is going to beat a lot of people," UWA head coach Rusty Cram said. "Players like them are why they were the preseason favorite to win the GSC."
 
Both teams shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half, with Delta State taking a 32-29 lead at the half. UWA managed to convert 13-of-25 field goal attempts despite a scoring drought of over six minutes late in the half.
 
The drought continued for the Tigers in the second half, however, with West Alabama making just 1-of-10 field goal attempts to start the second half.  The Tigers had just one field goal over an 11:07 stretch to end the first half and begin the second.
 
The Lady Statesmen led by 19 points with 9:08 left to play, but West Alabama came roaring back to cut the lead to four points (67-63) on a Malaka Johnson basket with 59.7 second left. It was as close as UWA would get.
 
"You can't compete if you don't play 40 minutes. You just can't pick and choose when you are going to play," Cram said. "We played well for 29-30 minutes and were non-existent for the other 10-11 minutes and they got hot."
 
Delta State shot 55 percent from the floor (24-43), including making 9-of-14 three point shots. 
 
After shooting 52 percent in the first half, West Alabama managed just 9-of-30 (30 percent) from the floor in the final 20 minutes. To make matters worse, the Tigers converted just 14-of-29 free throw attempts (48 percent).
 
"That was a pathetic performance at the free throw line," Cram said. "If we can make 75 percent of our free throws we can win the basketball game. We have let four or five games get away at the line this year."
 
Britney McCloud and Kelcia Bufkin scored 18 points apiece to lead West Alabama scoring, Latisha McCullum chipped in 10 points. Johnson had five rebounds for the Tigers.
 
West Alabama wraps up a five-game homestand by hosting Mississippi College Saturday at 2 p.m. Delta State travels to Alabama-Huntsville.