MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Junior guard Carlos Bell scored a career-high 27 points for the Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team but the Warhawks could not slow down a second half surge by Delta State University, as the Statesmen picked up an 80-73 road victory at the AUM Gymnasium in Gulf South Conference action.
 
NOTES
• AUM falls to 6-14 on the season and 2-10 in league play.
• DSU improves to 14-6 overall and 11-3 in the GSC.
• The Warhawks fall to 1-6 lifetime against the Statesmen, having lost all three contests at the NCAA Division II level.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Bell scored 27 points on 9-14 shooting, including 3-7 from behind the 3-point arc and 6-6 from the charity stripe. He also tallied five rebounds and a steal in 35 minutes of action. The 27-point performance tops his old mark of 25, which he has achieved on three occasions this season.
• Sophomore guard Stanley Davis tallied 16 points including four treys in 20 minutes of play.
• Junior guard Darrion Taylor scored 10 points to go along with four assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• DSU jumped out to an 8-0 lead before the Warhawks went on a 7-0 run capped off by a Devorious Brown steal and fastbreak layup to pull AUM to within a point at the 16:04 mark. The Statesmen responded with a 9-4 run to go ahead 17-11 over the next three minutes.
• The Warhawks began to claw their way back into the contest, outscoring DSU 9-2 over the next five minutes to take a 20-19 lead on an EJ Card jumper in the paint with 8:27 left in the half. The Statesmen's Matthew Wilson hit a jumper on the very next possession to give DSU the lead once again, but Aaron Reddick would answer moments later with a layup to put AUM up 22-21.
• An 11-3 run by the Warhawks gave the home squad a 33-24 lead with 4:06 to play, but the Statesmen would outscore AUM 5-2 over the final four minutes to enter the half down 35-29.
• The first six minutes of the second half saw Delta State shift the momentum of the contest in their favor, going on a 14-6 run to take a 43-41 lead with 13:44 to play. A layup by Bell on the next possession tied the game at 43-43 but DSU's Rasheide Bell answered with a 3-pointer to give the visitors a 46-43 advantage.
• DSU would slowly pull away, going up 50-43 with 11:33 to go, and it would be the Warhawks that would have to come from behind. AUM would go on a 13-7 run to pull to within 57-56 with 9:11 to go, but the Statesmen would score a layup and a 3-pointer on their next two possessions to go up by six with 8:12 left on the clock.
• The next three minutes saw DSU push their advantage to 69-59, but AUM would not go away quietly. The Warhawks would outscore the Statesmen 14-11 over the final 5:11, but the home squad could not complete the comeback falling 80-73.

QUOTING THE COACH

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
• DSU won the rebounding battle 35-32.
• The Statesmen converted 22-37 free throws while AUM hit 17-21.
• Delta shot 53.2 percent from the floor while AUM shot 42.9 percent.
• Both teams scored 28 points in the paint and both teams' benches scored 24 points.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will host the University of West Florida on Monday in a GSC contest set to begin at 8 p.m. at the AUM Gymnasium. The game is part of a doubleheader with the two women's programs which will play at 6 p.m.
 
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