CLEVELAND, Miss. – The UWF women's basketball team got 20-point performances from a pair of players but couldn't complete the comeback in a 71-67 loss to Delta State at Sillers Coliseum on Thursday.
 
Rachel McCree had 13 of her 20 points in the first half and Charlotte Ellmore had 12 of her 20 in the second half to lead UWF (7-18, 3-14 Gulf South). Both players made three of the team's season-high tying eight 3-pointers.
 
Danielle Norquest, who made the other two triples, added 11 points and 12 rebounds for her 19th-double-double. That is now tied for second in a single season at UWF. Former teammate Toni Brewer has the top two totals with 19 in 2016-17 and 21 last year.
 
The Argonauts shot 54 percent in the first quarter as they opened the game on a 10-0 run and led 22-11. The Lady Statesmen battled back and led by three with two minutes left in the half before Ellmore and McCree each hit triples in the final minute to send UWF into the locker room with a 31-28 lead.
 
UWF led for much of the third period before DSU grabbed a 49-47 edge heading into the fourth. A 7-0 Lady Statesmen run late in the game stretched their lead to 65-57 with 3:00 to play. The Argos charged back and tied it at 67 on a McCree layup with 1:05 on the clock.
 
Following a pair of DSU free throws to go up by two, UWF had the ball late but turned it over on a drive to the basket and was forced to foul as DSU made it a two-possession game at the free throw line.
 
The Argonauts finished with game shooting 39 percent and were 11-of-22 at the charity stripe.
 
DSU (17-6, 10-6) got 22 points from Nia Johnson and 13 from Quantesha Patterson. The Lady Statesmen shot 45 percent and scored 22 points off 14 UWF turnovers.
 
UWF will travel to Clinton, Miss. on Saturday to face Mississippi College (10-12, 7-9). Tip-off at A.E. Wood Coliseum is set for 2:00 p.m.