CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Montevallo women's basketball team dropped a close contest on the road, as the Falcons fell to Delta State 61-59 on Thursday evening.
Anna Katherine Eastman led the way with scoring a career-high 21 points, while
Jordan Gillies added 14 points and seven assists. Both
Aubrey Sorrells and
Lia Edwards had identical ten point and six rebound games.
Delta State scored the first five points of the game, before a three-point basket from Eastman put the Falcons on the board at the 8:08 mark. After a pair of DSU free throws, Montevallo began to find its rhythm, going on a 13-0 run highlighted by a pair of three-pointers from Eastman to put the Falcons up 16-7 at the 3:30 mark. The Lady Statesman scored the next five points, before Eastman found the basket once again, cashing in on a stepback jumper to put the Falcons ahead, 18-12, with 2:33 left. Delta State scored the final five points to take a, 19-18, lead at the end of the first quarter.
Montevallo opened the second quarter with a lay-in from
Ramie Reid and a Gillies three-pointer to take a 23-19 lead at the 7:14 mark. The Lady Statesmen responded with back-to-back buckets to tie the game, 23-23, at the 5:04 mark. Montevallo built a response of its own, with an 8-0 run highlighted by three-pointers from Eastman and Gillies, giving UM a 31-23 advantage with 4:10 left. Both teams traded baskets through the next four minutes, as Eastman hit a jumper to bring her first half total to 16 points, as the Falcons held a 35-27 with 49 seconds left. Delta State closed the half with a three-pointer, Montevallo took a 35-30 lead at the break.
Eastman continued her solid game, with a three-point basket to open the scoring in the second half. After both teams traded baskets, the Lady Statesmen took control, using an 11-0 run to take a 43-40 lead at the 4:08 mark. Montevallo finally found the basket at the 2:07 mark, as
Lia Edwards cashed in on a lay-in to end a six-minute scoring drought for UM. The Lady Statesmen knocked down a free throw in the final minute, as Delta State took a, 44-42, lead at the end of the third quarter.
DSU opened the fourth quarter with the first five points to take a 49-42 lead at the 8:24 mark. Reid earned the first points for UM, knocking down a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 49-44 at the 8:01 mark. A Gillies free throw cut the DSU advantage to four, as the Lady Statesmen led 49-45 with 5:49 left. Delta State scored the next five points to jump ahead, 54-45, at the 3:55 mark. Sorrells responded by scoring the next five points to cut the DSU advantage to, 54-50, with 3:15 left. The Lady Statesmen cashed in on a three-pointer, but Edwards scored the next three points, as DSU held a 57-53 lead at the 2:04 mark. The Lady Statesmen jumped ahead by seven with under a minute to go in the game, but the Falcons continued to fight as Gillies cashed in on an and-one to cut the deficit to 60-56 with 39 seconds left. After a DSU free throw, Edwards drained a three-pointer with five seconds left to make it a one possession game, 61-59. The Lady Statesmen missed two free throws at the end, but the Falcons could not convert on last second shot, as DSU took home the two-point victory.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 59 | Delta State 61
Records: Montevallo 4-4 (2-1 GSC) | Delta State 6-3 (2-1 GSC)
Location: Walter Sillers Coliseum | Cleveland, Miss.
GAME NOTES
- Anna Katherine Eastman earned a career high 21 points.
- UM shot the ball 40 percent from the field, while DSU shot the ball at a 43 percent clip.
- The Falcons shot a season best 53 percent from the three-point line.
- The Lady Statesmen narrowly outrebounded the Falcons 33-31.
