LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama women’s basketball team dropped an 81-64 contest to second ranked Delta State on Thursday afternoon at Pruitt Hall. The Tigers fall to 4-8 on the season, as DSU improves to 11-0.

Reigning GSC East Division Player of the Week Ashton Washington led UWA with 23 points and seven rebounds, as Valerie Harris added 11 points for the Tigers. UWA shot 39-percent from the floor on the night.

Jessica Boyd paced the Lady Statesmen with a career-high 19 points. Lakira Boyd tabbed 15 points with Brittani Calhoun supplying 14 and Jennifer Rushing adding 12 points. Calhoun and Rushing each grabbed six rebounds to lead the way on the boards.

Leading 44-29 at the half, DSU went on a 7-3 spurt to extend its lead to 19 points in the first two minutes of the second half. UWA brought the advantage down to 15 points before putting together a 16-4 run to cut the lead down to seven points with 11:28 remaining in regulation. Washington guided the run with eight of the Red and White’s 16 points.

Boyd and Lamaesha McAdory added two quick baskets to put the Lady Statesmen up 11, but the Tigers would answer again, trimming the deficit back to single digits at 63-55 with less than eight minutes remaining. A 12-3 run by the Lady Statesmen guided them to a 75-58 advantage behind three consecutive three-pointers from Boyd with 5:30 remaining.

DSU opened the contest on an 8-4 run, but a three point play by Harris and a trey from Jessica Thompson gave the Red and White a 10-8 lead at the 16:49 mark of the opening stanza. DSU’s McBride knotted the contest at 10-10, but back-to-back scoring trips for UWA pushed the Tigers back ahead 14-10, behind two jumpers from Washington. DSU’s Boyd answered with two three’s to give the Lady Statesmen a two point advantage with 12:37 remaining in the first half.

West Alabama returns to action on Saturday, January 5^th, as the Tigers travel to Russellville, Ark. to face Arkansas Tech in a 4 p.m. contest. UWA then travels to the University of Arkansas at Monticello on Monday, January 7^th to face the Cotton Blossoms in a 2 p.m. tip-off affair before opening conference plat at Pruitt Hall against UAH on Saturday, January 12^th.