VALDOSTA, Ga. - It's go time for the Valdosta State women's basketball program, as they open up the Gulf South Conference portion of their schedule this week against two familiar foes: The Lions of North Alabama and the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers.
The pair of contests, set to take place in Florence, Ala. on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. EST and Saturday afternoon in Huntsville, Ala. at 4:00 p.m. EST, mark the first of 22 GSC games scheduled for the 2014-15 season and present a fresh opportunity for Head Coach
Kiley Hill's squad as they begin their pursuit of one of the league's top spots.
The Lions (3-1, 0-0) have proven to be a tough opponent in recent years for Valdosta State (4-2, 0-0), but the Lady Blazers will be looking to rekindle the spark that helped lift them to their last win over North Alabama, a 57-56 victory in the Complex on February 2, 2013.
In their last matchup, which took place on February 13, 2014, senior
Amy Duke scored 18 points to ignite a comeback effort by the Lady Blazers that fell just short, as VSU fell 76-68. The Lions were able to fend off Valdosta State with a 10-of-10 shooting effort from the charity stripe during the final three minutes of the contest.
Against the Chargers (3-3, 0-0), Valdosta State will aim to kick off the season series against UAH just as they did last season when the Lady Blazers put on an offensive exhibition in early January at The Complex. In that game,
April Thomas scored 22 of her team high 24 points in the second half of the contest to fuel a come-from-behind effort that boosted VSU to an 89-81 victory. The Lady Blazers went on to split with the Chargers on the 2013-14 season, after falling 75-67 on February 8 in Huntsville, Ala..
In the upcoming contests, Valdosta State will look to capitalize on the offensive efforts of both Duke and Thomas, who, along with newcomer
Imari Simpson, are each averaging double digits in the points per game column so far this season. Thomas has picked up right where she left off last year as one of the league's top ten scorers and currently holds a 13.8 points per game average, while Simpson and Duke have helped the cause with 10.7 and 10.3 points per game averages, respectively.
The versatile
Maggie Davis has also proven to be a difference maker thus far in 2014, averaging 9.5 points per game while also leading the team on the glass with an average of 5.7 rebounds per contest. In addition, the forward has displayed efficiency from both the field (25-of-41, 61.0 percent) and the free throw line (7-of-10, 70.0 percent).
Mike Chason will have the call on the radio for both contests, with Thursday night's game airing on 92.1 and Saturday's game broadcasting live on The Jock 1150AM / 96.1FM. Blazer Nation can listen live both locally in Valdosta and all over the world on the web. In addition, live webcast streams will be available for those who can't make it to Alabama. All of these viewing and listening options are available right here at www.vstateblazers.com.
