Florence, Ala. - Gulf South Conference play kicked off on Thursday night across the southeast, and a thriller in Florence, Ala. ended unfavorably for Valdosta State, as the Lady Blazers fell 74-67 in overtime after North Alabama overcame a 16-point deficit in the second half at Flowers Hall.

Valdosta State posted their best offensive effort of the season thus far and saw three different players reach double-digit figures in the scoring column. Amy Duke scored 17, while Imari Simpson and Maggie Davis each connected for 16. The team effort was good for a 0.54 shooting percentage from the floor and an even more impressive 33.3 percentage from three point range.

Unfortunately for VSU, the impressive offensive output from the floor was overshadowed by 39 turnovers by the Lady Blazers. 19 of those miscues came in the second half and allowed the Lions to score 29 points in the final 13 minutes of regulation, the last two of which were posted after a layup by UNA guard Anna Faris at the 0:21 mark to knot the score up at 61-61 and send the game into overtime.

Valdosta State was never able to recover, as the Lions buried two quick layups within the first minute of the overtime period to take a 65-61 lead. The Lady Blazers cut UNA's lead back to two with layups by Jo Bistrow and Jordan Waugh on consecutive possessions, but the buckets accounted for four of just six points scored by VSU in the frame, and fell short of the 13 points scored by UNA to close out the contest.

In the first half of the game, the Lady Blazers fell behind in the early going after the Lions hit a layup in their first possession and tacked on two free throws. Though VSU kept the score close, Head Coach Kiley Hill's squad played from behind throughout the first 10 minutes of the contest.

At the 9:52 mark, however, April Thomas gave the Lady Blazers a 19-18 lead, their first of the night, with a layup that sparked an 18-6 run over the course of the next nine minutes and lifted VSU to a 35-24 lead at the break.

Valdosta State picked up where they left off in the second half and extended their lead to 14 points after a layup by Davis at the 17:06 mark. The lead increased to 16 after a 7-5 run by VSU over the course of the next four minutes, but then the slide began for the Lady Blazers.

The Lions shot a paltry 20 percent from the arc and shot nearly 20 percent lower from the field than Valdosta State. UNA countered their poor shooting, however, with a strong defensive performance that included 22 steals.

Valdosta State will have a chance to bounce back on Saturday with a 4:00 p.m. matchup against the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville at Spragins Hall in Huntsville, Ala. Live coverage will be available right here at www.vstateblazers.com.