CLEVELAND, Miss.-The Christian Brothers University Lady Bucs used a 26-6 run to rally from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to take a 50-48 lead with 5:05 remaining in the game, but host Delta State claimed a 61-58 win in the GSC opener for both schools Thursday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• The Lady Statesmen (1-4, 1-0 GSC) outscored CBU (1-4, 0-1) 17-6 in the opening quarter, including a 9-0 run to end the quarter.
• DSU used a 6-0 burst midway through the second quarter to take a 28-13 lead on a Raven Johnson layup with 3:35 remaining in the half.
• The Lady Statesmen extended their lead to 18 points twice, last on two Alondrea Rush free throws with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter that gave DSU a 42-24 edge.
• Mikaela Blissett (Oran, Mo./Scott County Central HS) started the Lady Bucs' rally when she scored on a layup the next possession. Kenzie Jones (Park Hills, Mo./Central HS) capped a quick 6-0 burst with two free throws to trim the deficit to 42-30 with 2:41 remaining.
• CBU's biggest run came after two more Delta State buckets, when Johnna Jones (Munford, Tenn./Munford HS) knocked down a jumper. Johnna Jones capped what became a 17-0 run when she scored a layup with 5:42 remaining to give the Lady Bucs a 47-46 lead, and after a DSU basket, Rafaella Angelidou (Thessaloniki, Greece/Aristoteleio Kollegeio) knocked down a triple to put CBU back ahead 50-48 with 5:05 to play.
• The Lady Statesmen regained the lead for good with a 9-2 run capped by a Rush three-pointer with 1:15 remaining.
• After the teams traded scores, Angelidou scored a four-point play with 22 seconds remaining to bring the Lady Bucs within a point, and Kenzie Jones stole the inbounds pass to give CBU a chance for the win. Rush stole the ball back for DSU with five seconds remaining, however, and she made two free throws with 1.3 seconds remaining to set the final margin.

KEY STATS:
• Angelidou led the Lady Bucs with 15 points and four assists.
• Blissett posted career-highs of 11 points and four steals, and she matched her career-best with nine rebounds.
• Brynne Lytle (Jackson, Tenn./Trinity Christian Academy) added 11 with three steals.
• CBU shot 41.5 percent (22-of-53) for the game, including just 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from three-point range. The Lady Statesmen finished 50 percent (24-of-48) overall, including 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from beyond the arc.
• DSU out-rebounded the Lady Bucs 34-21, including an 11-8 edge in offensive boards, but CBU forced 19 turnovers while committing nine.

WHAT'S NEXT:
The Lady Bucs return to action Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. as they visit Mississippi College. Their next home game is set for Wednesday night at 5 p.m. as they host Eckerd.