MEMPHIS-Visiting Delta State out-scored the Christian Brothers University Bucs 6-0 in the final two seconds to rally for a 55-53 win Wednesday night at Canale Arena. Despite the loss, the Bucs clinched a GSC Tournament berth.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Entering the game committing the seventh-fewest turnovers per game in the nation, the Bucs (18-8, 10-8 GSC) committed turnovers on five straight possessions during a six-minute scoreless drought to start the game.
• Delta State (12-14, 10-8) took advantage, building a 9-0 lead when Matthew Wilson sank a jumper with 14:16 remaining in the first half, a lead they would extend to as many as 11 points twice in the first half.
• CBU stormed back to take a 22-21 lead when Alex Trentman (Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart HS) capped a 13-1 run with a triple with 3:15 remaining in the half.
• After several lead changes early in the second half, the Statesmen used a 9-0 burst to take a 47-40 lead on a Wilson three-pointer with 3:53 remaining.
• The Bucs again answered, scoring 11 in a row to regain the lead. First, layups by Joe Laravie (Kettering, Ohio/Alter HS) and Adam Dieball (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East HS) brought the Bucs within a possession, then a Trentman three-point play tied the game with 2:13 remaining. Jeff Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle HS) sank two free throws with 1:52 remaining to give the Bucs the lead, and he found Laravie on the press-break to give the Bucs a 51-47 edge with 15 seconds remaining.
• After Brett Warner scored a layup with 10 seconds remaining, DSU fouled Brad Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder HS), who sank two free throws to restore the Bucs' 53-49 lead with eight seconds remaining.
• Warner sank a triple with 1.6 seconds remaining to draw the Statesmen within one point. After an offensive foul gave DSU the ball back, the Bucs were whistled for a foul in the corner on a fadeaway three-point attempt by PJ Davis with 0.4 seconds remaining. Davis sank all three free throws, and the Bucs' desperation heave at the buzzer missed.

KEY STATS:
• Dieball led the Bucs with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists as he played all 40 minutes.
• Larkin scored 10 with three assists.
• Laravie added 10.
• The Bucs shot 44.7 percent (21-of-47) overall, including 30 percent (6-of-20) from three-point range. DSU finished 44.0 percent (22-of-50), including 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from beyond the arc.
• The Statesmen out-rebounded CBU 31-29, including an 8-5 edge in offensive boards, and they forced 14 Bucs turnovers while committing 13.

GSC STANDINGS:
Valdosta State clinched a share of the GSC regular season crown Wednesday night with an overtime win at Montevallo, moving to 17-1. West Florida sits in second at 15-3, and West Alabama has clinched the No. 3 seed at 13-5. The Bucs sit in a tie with Delta State for the fourth seed at 10-8. Montevallo, Lee and North Alabama are tied for sixth place at 9-9. Alabama Huntsville and West Georgia are tied for ninth at 7-11.

HEAD COACH MIKE NIENABER'S THOUGHTS:
On the final 2 fouls in 1.6 seconds:
"It's as bad a loss as I can ever remember as a coach. I feel like I let us down too, we should have thrown long. They were jamming up and then the foul on Joe was ridiculous. We talk about officials just taking over and deciding the game. We did what we needed to do; we made free throws and plays. Then to get calls like that, you're not going to see calls made like that one time in a thousand games. Just to make that call in that situation is such garbage, it's just absolute garbage. Just to have it ripped away from you is just sad, what else can you say? We should have thrown the ball long and that's on me."

On Delta State's defense:
"The one thing they did differently, than they have in the past, they didn't double hard on Adam. They let Adam go around the basket and he was effective at times and at other times he got off balance. They basically went with what lee did to us on Saturday. They basically said they have people in their banging on him and Adam didn't have a bad game but it just wasn't one of his best ones."

On Jeff Larkin's night:
"I think he forced a little bit. When he penetrates, he draws a crowd. He gets two or three guys in there and he tried to split a couple times and just lost it. We had some walks that I thought were probably legit and didn't have a problem with some of the ones that got called on us. I did have a problem with some of the ones that weren't called on the other end."

How to regroup:
"I'll tell you what, it's not going to be easy. It's just not. This is the kind of game that just tears your heart out. To have it won like we did and then have it just ripped away like it was in less than 2 seconds that's just hard to take."

On the many directions the rankings can go:
"Montevallo has to go to Huntsville, Delta really has the favorable schedule. Lee will battle them fighting for a playoff spot though. It's just hard, I don't know what you say after something like that. I've been doing this for years and I cannot think of one worse than this. It's as hard a loss as I've ever had. We'll have a day or two to regroup and then we'll get on the long bus to Montgomery. We'll be playing against a team that came in here and whipped us, but we have to find a way to get back. I thought the lineup shuffle worked pretty good. I thought Jake did a good job for us on defense. He still struggles on offense, and you're giving something up there. I though Alex came in and gave us some really good minutes and made some big plays. We 're starting to get a little more out of Luke and that's encouraging. I think where we really need to regroup and think about is that it's about the tournament now. We've got to focus on trying to get ourselves together the best we can to go into that Gulf South tournament wherever we have to go. Unfortunately now it's a good chance we'll be on the road, but wherever we have to go. We're just going to have to figure out a way to get that road win and then make it to the neural ground I Birmingham. If we can get to Birmingham, we're going to be dangerous. We did everything we needed to do to win. It's just really unfortunate, but it happens and we just have to find a way to bounce back."

WHAT'S NEXT:
The Bucs hit the road for the final time this regular season as they visit Auburn-Montgomery Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Their final home game of the regular season is next Thursday, Feb. 22, when they host Union at 7 p.m.