CLINTON, Miss. — The Mississippi College women's basketball team used a strong second-half surge to pull away from in-state rival Delta State, securing a 60-48 victory on Saturday, March 1 at A.E. Wood Coliseum. MC, which is the No. 6 seed in next week's Gulf South Conference Tournament, improves to 15-14 on the season and 11-11 in conference play.
 
The Choctaws scored the first seven points of the contest, but found itself trailing by four points at the end of the first 10 minutes of action and down by a bucket at the intermission, 28-26 at halftime. MC flipped the script in the second half, outscoring the Lady Statesmen 34-20. Senior guard Tiara Abron led the charge with 19 points, including several key baskets in the fourth quarter to help MC seal the win.
 
Amelia Bell added 14 points and seven rebounds for Mississippi College, and reset the program's single-season record book with a career-high and school record eight blocks. Nia Coleman contributed 11 points while Tytiana Buckley added 10. The Choctaws shot 43.4 percent from the field and dominated inside, scoring 28 points in the paint and forcing 17 turnovers.
 
Dakiya Toney, who finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, led Delta State (13-16, 9-13 GSC). Wakiryah Daniels chipped in 10 points, but the Lady Statesmen struggled offensively in the second half, shooting just 25 percent in the final two quarters.
 
Mississippi College trailed 30-26 early in the third quarter but responded with a 9-0 run, fueled by back-to-back baskets from Abron and a three-pointer by Coleman. The Choctaws never trailed again, extending their lead to as many as 12 points in the closing minutes.
 
Mississippi College shifts its focus to the GSC Tournament, where it travels to Cleveland, Tenn., and Lee University for the tournament quarterfinals. Tip is 5 p.m. central.