CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Auburn Montgomery women's basketball team recorded a season-high nine blocks on Saturday afternoon, but could not get the victory in a 76-56 decision at Delta State.
 
NOTES
• AUM falls to 8-14 on the season and 4-11 in Gulf South Conference action.
• Delta State improves to 9-12, 7-8 in GSC play.
• The Warhawks nine blocks is tied for the sixth-most by a GSC team this season.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Junior guard/forward Evelina Avleeva paced the Warhawks with 11 points and seven rebounds to go with a pair of steals and assists.
• Senior guard Shanna Strain scored a season-high 10 points with five rebounds.
• Junior center Makayla Liles recorded a season-high five rebounds and three blocks while also posting seven points.
• Redshirt-sophomore center Bailee Wolfe blocked three shots.
• For Delta State, Alondrea Rush posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• AUM began the contest with a 5-0 run, getting a triple from Avleeva and a jumper from Strain. Delta State made it a two-point contest with a free throw and layup, but the Warhawks responded with a three-pointer from Strain and jump shot from Wolfe to extend the lead to 10-3. DSU ended the frame on a 9-4 run with Liles scoring both the Warhawks baskets to make it 14-12.
• The two sides split the opening 10 points of the second quarter to keep the separation at two, 19-17, before a 15-2 DSU run made it 32-21 at the intermission.
• Delta State carried the momentum into the second half, using an 18-4 run to create a game-high 25-point lead at 50-25. AUM cut into the deficit with a three-point play by Avleeva, with the two sides splitting the ensuing 16 points to make it 58-36 going into the final quarter.
• AUM brought the separation down to 20 on a layup from sophomore guard Aaliyah Milord to start the final quarter, but a 5-0 retort by DSU recreated the 25-point advantage, 63-38. Neither side scored more than five-consecutive points in a back-and-forth final frame, with the Warhawks lone back-to-back basket run came off a three-pointer from senior guard Nadia Steward and layup by freshman guard Makaylla Bullard in the final minute made it 76-56.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks converted on 20-60 shots, going 7-28 from three-point territory and 9-12 from the free throw line.
• DSU went 27-68 from the field, 7-16 from beyond the arc and 15-19 from the free-throw line.
• The Warhawks dished out 11 assists while Delta State had 15.
• The Statesmen held a 44-41 advantage in rebounds.
• AUM scored 19 second-chance points versus 14 for Delta State
• AUM committed 20 turnovers, resulting in 18 DSU points. The hosts committed eight turnovers, leading to six points.
• AUM recorded six steals with nine blocks while Delta State stole the ball 10 times with two blocks.
 
QUOTING THE COACH
 
"I was pleased with how we started the game," head coach Dan Davis said. "We were coming off two tough losses but we came out strong. Delta State is a team fighting their postseason lives and midway through the second quarter they brought a level of intensity and physicality and we didn't have an answer too. We are at the point in the season where all the teams we are going to play are either trying to get into the conference tournament or are vying for a home quarterfinal game. These final games are going to be tough and physical, we got a taste of it today."  
 
 
UP NEXT
The women's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the AUM Gymnasium on Thursday, Feb. 8 against West Florida at 6 p.m.
 
For the latest on AUM athletics, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.