VALDOSTA, Ga. – A hard fought Gulf South Conference battle ended in favor of the North Alabama Lions, as the Valdosta State women's basketball team suffered a 63-50 loss on Saturday night at The Complex.

The Lady Blazers fell to 9-10 overall after the defeat and fell to 5-8 against league competition, while North Alabama improved to 10-7 on the year, 7-6 in GSC play.

The Lady Blazers fell behind 2-12 in the opening minutes of the contest, but April Thomas took control of the VSU offense and racked up 15 points in the first half alone. A 7-of-9 effort in the first half by the senior, along with a strong rebounding effort by the entire team, helped Valdosta State overcome the early deficit and trim UNA's lead to 32-25 by halftime.

The difference in the contest, however, proved to be the early minutes of the second half, when North Alabama spread their lead to 41-25 on a 9-2 run over the course of the first five minutes of the frame.

Valdosta State regained momentum in following 10 minutes to close the gap to six points at the 4:02 mark, but an offensive drought plagued the Lady Blazers in the final minutes. The red and black were able to connect on just one field goal in the last four minutes of the contest, and the Lions used the opportunity to secure the win.

The Lady Blazers held a commanding lead on the glass throughout the night and outrebounded UNA 39-24. Unfortunately for Valdosta State, the effort was overshadowed by a 48.1 percent shooting performance by the Lions. Four different UNA players finished with double-digits in the scoring column, and the squad was led by Jennifer Towne, who tallied 15 points.

Thomas eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the third time this season with 21 points on the night. She finished 10-of-15 from the field and added two assists and a steal. Lady Blazer forward Imari Simpson added ten points and four rebounds, while Maggie Davis led the rebounding effort with 11.

Valdosta State will hit the road next week for an upcoming GSC road stretch that includes two games and begins with a Thursday night matchup against the Shorter Hawks in Rome, Ga.. The game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start, and Blazer Nation can follow all of the action live at www.vstateblazers.com.