CARROLLTON, Ga. – The Lady Blazers of Valdosta State suffered their third straight Gulf South Conference loss after falling to the West Georgia Wolves in a 64-62 heartbreaker on Saturday afternoon in Carrollton, Ga.
VSU posted a stellar stretch of play to close out the first half, but the Wolves outscored the Lady Blazers 38-31 in the second frame to overcome a six point deficit and escape with the victory.
UWG's Seandre Lee proved to be the difference in the second half with 6-of-9 shooting from the field and a 2-2 effort from the free throw line. Her play in the final period netted the senior 14 of her team-high 16 points.
For the Blazers,
April Thomas shot 50 percent from the field with an 8-of-16 effort that resulted in 18 points, while
Imari Simpson added 13 points and six rebounds. As a team, the Lady Blazers connected on 49.1 percent of their shots and swiped 10 steals on the day. The sound shooting day went for naught, however, thanks in part to 21 turnovers by the red and black.
The Lady Blazers opened up game with two buckets in the first two minutes before UWG bounced back with a 20-6 run that gave the Wolves a 20-10 lead at the 7:35 mark.
From that point forward, the first period took a huge momentum swing in favor of Head Coach
Kiley Hill's squad, as Valdosta State connected on nine of their last 12 shots from the field. The Lady Blazers also surged on defense to force seven UWG turnovers within the final five minutes of the first half, and the overall surge resulted in a 21-6 run that gave VSU a 31-26 advantage at the midway point.
In the second half, West Georgia opened up the period with an 8-0 run that allowed the team to reclaim a 34-31 lead. Once Thomas buried a three ball from long range at the 15:30 mark, however, the two teams began a back-and-forth stretch that featured four lead changes in five minutes.
UWG took a three point lead on a basket at the 10:08 mark and opened the advantage up to as many as nine points in the final ten minutes. But the Lady Blazers clawed and fought their way back into the contest with an 8-0 run that began with 2:23 remaining and allowed VSU to tie the game up at 60-60 on a
Reshaundra Owens' layup with 27 seconds to go.
Lee gave the Wolves the lead once again on two free throws after being fouled at the 0:21 mark, and VSU was unable to convert on their attempt to tie in the ensuing possession. The Lady Blazers were forced to foul with eight seconds left, and Taylor Beverly, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, connected on both free throws to put the game out of reach.
The loss dropped VSU to 8-7 overall and 4-5 in GSC play, while the Wolves improved to 9-6 overall and 3-5 in league play.
The Lady Blazers continue the road trip and return to action on Monday night in Livingston, Ala. with another Gulf South Conference matchup. VSU will square off against the West Alabama Tigers at 6:30 p.m. EST.
