(Dover, Del.) – Saturday afternoon, the Delaware State women's basketball team (7-13, 4-3 MEAC) wrapped up its season-long three-game homestand on a positive note with a convincing 79-61 victory over the South Carolina State Bulldogs (8-11, REC MEAC), thanks to five players scoring in double figures and forward Nikkei Blackburn coming off the bench to register a double-double of 11 points (5-of-9) and a game-high 11 boards.

With this win, DSU not only avenged its 61-48 loss at SCSU earlier this season, but Saturday's victory snapped a six-game slide against the Bulldogs.  For South Carolina State, it dropped its second contest in a row to conclude a three-game road trip.

Controlling the pace throughout most of the afternoon, the Lady Hornets took a 33-23 lead into the locker room at the break, thanks to limiting the Bulldogs to 28 percent (10-of-36), including just nine points in the second quarter. DSU's N'Kayah Kersey, meanwhile, scored six out of eight points in the half from beyond the arc, highlighted by making it a 13-point ball game with 6:14 left in the second quarter.

After intermission, the Bulldogs battled back in the third quarter to outscore Delaware State, 25-22.  SCSU also cut the deficit to the three on two separate occasions, concluding with guard Brittany Drumgoole draining one of her four 3-pointers of the afternoon at the 1:45 mark. However, the Hornets scored seven of the last nine points of the quarter, capped off by back-to-back Blackburn layups.

The final quarter, meanwhile, featured the Lady Hornets regaining their form by reeling off 14 unanswered points to lead by as many as 20, sparked by guard Mikah Aldridge draining a jumper inside the arc.  Also during this stretch, freshman sensation NaJai Pollard scored six of her game's 14 points (6-of-15), as she finished the afternoon with six boards, two assists and a team-high four blocks.

At game's end, Kersey also poured in 14 points (4-of-7), which included hitting all of her field goals from 3-point range.  For her career, Kersey's 3-point total now stands at 82, making her only ninth player in program history to tally at least 80 makes from beyond the arc.  

In the assist department, Kersey, along with guards Bri Justice and Aaliyah Davis dropped four dimes, while Davis chipped in with 10 points (4-of-11) and pulled down eight boards.  Rounding DSU's all-around offensive performance was Aldridge tallying 12 points (3-of-7) off the bench, whereas as a team, the Hornets shot 50 percent (9-of-18) from long distance.   

Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will head to the Sunshine State for the second time this year, this time for a back-to-back road swing, beginning with Bethune-Cookman next Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.).  Last season, DSU defeated the Wildcats, 72-71, thanks to Davis sinking a full-court buzzer beater to win the game.

Stingers

Delaware State registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season… The Lady Hornets are now above .500 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play since 2012-13, in addition to now having their highest conference win total since that season… DSU shot 44 percent (30-of-69) from the field, while SCSU shot 36 percent (24-of-67)… Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Brittany Drumgoole's 13 points (4-of-10)… The Lady Hornets won the battle of the glass, 45-38, for the second consecutive contest… Mikah Aldridge (12) and Nikkei Blackburn (11) combined to score 23 of DSU's 31 points off the bench… Blackburn's double-double was the second of her career… The Lady Hornets are now 35-29 all-time against the Bulldogs.

Postgame Comments (Nikkei Blackburn, Head Coach Barbara Burgess and N'Kayah Kersey)

Media: Opening statements about today's game

Burgess: It was just a overall team effort. I'm really proud of the young ladies and how they have been playing the last couple of games. We are improving and more people are scoring for us. For example, N'Kayah (Kersey) and Nikkei (Blackburn) both scored in double figures today.

Kersey: I'm proud of us for this to be our third game this week. Our bodies are pretty tired so instead of focusing on us being exhausted like every other team right now, we're just focused on trying to get another win, trying to start a winning streak. So it was a great team effort.

Blackburn: I think we were all in good focus this game and a lot of people contributed and worked hard as a team overall.

Media: Coach Burgess, you guys controlled the game pretty much from opening tip. What was the game plan coming in today?

Burgess: We started off with a little bit of trapping. Our zones of course worked, but then at the end, I said we had to go man because they were getting open looks. So once we went man, we kind of stepped it up on their shooters. We were able to get some scoring on the offensive end, stop them from the defensive end and that kind of took us over the edge.

Media: Coach Burgess, with this win you guys are now 4-3 in the MEAC, which is your best MEAC start in the last three years or so. What is your message to your team going forward now with you guys having the Florida trip coming up?

Burgess: I think they are starting to believe in themselves, as she said (N'Kayah) we believe in them from day one. The good thing about us is that now we are getting scoring and contributions from anybody that's out on the floor. They're giving us something whether it's a steal, whether it's a block, whether it's a rebound, points, charges, whatever they are giving that to us. That's what we really have been stressing all year long. Like I said, going back, it's just a team effort and I think it's just a boost. A morale boost with us winning, regardless of the non-conference.

Media: After today's game, what is your mindset like coming off an individual standpoint?

Kersey: Individually, well as a team, we've been struggling from the 3-point line.  Sometimes we're on, sometimes we're off. But my teammates did a great job of finally getting me open today, so I just focus on knocking the shot down. Thankfully, my coaches and my teammates have confidence in me so that's good.

Media: What did this game do for your confidence moving forward?

Blackburn: I was just ready to play this game. I was ready to catch back up with them since I couldn't play against them two weeks ago, so I figured this shouldn't be a loss.  We got our payback.