GOLDEN SUNS FALL IN GSC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
TO TOP-RANKED DELTA STATE

        SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi – 13th-ranked Arkansas Tech Women’s Basketball closed out play here Sunday in the 2008 Gulf South Conference Tournament with an 80-61 loss to top-ranked and undefeated Delta State (29-0 on the season) in the championship game at the DeSoto Civic Center.

Tech, who was making its eighth and second consecutive title game appearance since joining the league in 1996, fell to 0-6 against Delta State in the championship game of the tournament. Tech won GSC Tournament titles in 1998 and 2003, but has lost in the finals the other six times to the Lady Statesmen.

In Sunday’s loss, Tech, who fell to 25-5 on the season, couldn’t overcome 57 percent shooting from the Lady Statesmen and a 12-4 run to close out the first half after Tech had cut its deficit to 36-33 on a lay-up by junior forward Amanda Grappe (Benton, Ark.) with 3:46 remaining in the half.

“Delta State shot the ball really well today, so you have to give credit to them,” Golden Suns Head Coach Dave Wilbers said. “We tried battling back and battling back, but they always seemed to hit a shot when they needed it. I’m proud of our team and our girls though.”

 While DSU’s offense was red-hot, Tech’s offense was stagnant most of the game as the Golden Suns shot 37 percent from the field and 17 percent (2-for-12) from the 3-point line. In addition, Grappe carried most of Tech’s offensive load as she finished with a game and career-high 36 points and added seven rebounds and a career-high eight steals. For the game, Grappe shot 9-for-17 from the floor, including going 1-for-2 from long distance and was 17-for-19 from the free throw line. Tech finished the contest shooting 89 percent (23-for-26) from the foul line.

“Amanda played fantastic today,” the first-year Tech coach said. “In fact, she played an outstanding tournament and deserves All-Tournament Team recognition. She was all over the place.”

For her efforts throughout the tournament, Grappe was named to the six-member GSC All-Tournament Team. Joining Grappe were Tech senior forward Krishna Baker (Little Rock, Ark.), Arkansas-Monticello guard Andrea Dubose and DSU’s threesome of Lakira Boyd, Brittani Calhoun and Jennifer Rushing, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive season. Both Grappe and Baker were named to the GSC All-Tournament Team last season as well.

Early on, it appeared that DSU, who defeated Tech twice during the regular season by two-point margins each time, was poised to run away with the game as they outscored Tech, 18-9, in the opening seven minutes of the contest.

But, the Golden Suns battled back and pulled within 26-22 following two free throws by junior forward Anna Baran (Rzeszow, Poland) with 7:44 left, before DSU used a 10-4 run capped by a lay-up from Sarita Cooper to push out to a 36-26 lead with a little less than five minutes remaining.

Tech, though, used a 7-0 spurt by Grappe to pull within 36-33 with 3:46 left, before the Lady Statesmen closed the half on its run to go into the locker room with a 48-37 advantage.

“We were able to get close, but we were never able to hit a shot when we needed and a lot of that was because of DSU’s defense,” Wilbers added. “DSU has a good team. They have a lot of depth and that seemed to be a factor in the game. We didn’t have an answer for DSU’s depth.”

The Lady Statesmen were led by Boyd’s 24 points and eight rebounds, while Calhoun added 18 points and eight boards. The third double figure scorer was Rushing, who tallied 11 points, including going 3-for-4 from downtown and added 10 assists and three steals.

“DSU is a great team and it is always a battle when we play and today was no different,” Grappe said.

Tech opened the second half by scoring the first basket on a jumper by Baker with 19:32 left in the contest, but DSU used a 15-9 run to push in front 63-48 following a lay-up by Calhoun with 13:22 remaining. The Golden Suns were able to pull within 65-56 following a free throw by Grappe with 9:15 left in the game that capped an 8-2 run, but that would be as close as they would get as DSU used a 10-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Moe Bell with 5:31 left in the game to pull out to a 75-56 lead.

“They (DSU) were able to take control of the game early in the second half,” said Wilbers.

In addition to Grappe, Baker added 17 points and seven rebounds. No other Tech player scored more than five points and only four Golden Suns scored in the game.

“One of the big keys to the game was that we needed others on our team to score some points and today that didn’t happen,” the Tech coach said.

Tech, along with Delta State, Valdosta State and quite possibly Harding are expected to earn bids late Sunday night into the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament, which will begin this coming Friday in Cleveland, Miss.

“We’ve had an outstanding season and this team deserves to be in the NCAA Tournament and will be in the NCAA Tournament,” the Tech coach added. “We’re looking forward to playing in Friday’s first round.”

         Delta State Box Score  

-- Tech Athletics --