CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Auburn University at Montgomery men's basketball team converted key plays down the stretch, including late free throws and a solid defensive sequence, to snare a 67-64 victory over Delta State University on Saturday evening en route to a weekend sweep of Gulf South Conference play.

Roderick Smith's layup with 3:01 left to play and a pair of Joseph Lanzi free throws with 1:54 remaining gave AUM late leads down the stretch. Jalen Gaston then stepped up and knocked down a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left to give the Warhawks a three-point cushion before AUM successfully defended DSU's late game-tying three-point attempt. 

Smith scored 21 points to lead all AUM scorers, and Gaston chipped in 16 points. Lanzi was the third Warhawk in double-figures with 10 points on the night.

THE TIPOFF

Score: AUM 67, DSU 64
Records: AUM 11-10 (9-8 GSC) | DSU 6-15 (5-13 GSC)
Location: Cleveland, Miss. | Walter Sillers Coliseum
Series: DSU leads 8-5
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HIGHLIGHTS

• Graham helped AUM build an early 11-7 lead thanks to his seven points and five rebounds at the first media timeout of the contest.
• A 10-5 spurt by Delta State trimmed the AUM lead to one, 17-16, but the Warhawks responded to take their largest lead of the half. 
• The Warhawks got back-to-back three-pointers by Lanzi, a three by Gaston, and a tough bucket by Smith as part of a 16-3 run to open up a 33-19 lead with 4:47 to play in the opening half.
• A Zameron Boozer dunk punctuated the first half as the Warhawks led 39-30 at the break. Smith had 10 first-half points in 13 minutes off the bench to lead AUM in the scoring column.
• Delta State's 12-3 sprint out of the locker room tied the game 42-42 with 13:36 remaining.
• The Statesmen took their first lead of the game with less than 10 minutes to go on a Maalik Cartwright three-pointer and continued to hold a lead until Gaston added a three-pointer to knot the game at 56-56. 
• Despite losing a nine-point halftime lead, the Warhawks found every answer down the stretch as the lead changed hands seven times in the final seven minutes. 
• Lanzi's two free throws with less than two minutes to play gave AUM a lead back, and Gaston's free throws ballooned that lead to three.
• Delta State's Wyatt Bell left his game-tying three-point attempt shot in the right corner as time expired to seal the AUM victory. 

NOTABLES

• AUM again won the rebounding battle, beating Delta State on the boards 39 to 24.
• 24 of the Warhawks' 39 first-half points came in the paint, and AUM owned a 34-14 advantage in paint points.
• The black and orange went 10-for-12 from the free throw line in the game, including a 9-of-10 mark in the second half.
• Smith posted 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes off the bench for AUM. 
• Gaston has dropped 10 or more points in his last eight contests.

UP NEXT

AUM visits Carrollton, Ga. on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m. to take on the University of West Georgia in a key GSC matchup.

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