VALDOSTA, Ga. – In their first game at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga., the freshmen of Lady Blazer basketball kicked their career off on the right foot to help lift the Valdosta State women's basketball team to an exciting 48-45 comeback victory over the Eckerd Tritons on Sunday afternoon.
Freshmen
Madi Mitchell and
Aaliyah Cheatham represented two of three double-digit scorers in the ballgame, and both came up with huge three point shots late in the fourth quarter to help Valdosta State secure their second straight victory.
Eckerd outscored the Blazers 30-12 in the paint on the night, but Valdosta State held the Tritons to just one made three pointer in 16 attempts. In contrast, the Blazers connected for six shots from beyond the arc, four of which came from Mitchell and Cheatham.
The first two quarters alone saw seven lead changes, which led to a 26-26 tie at intermission, but the Tritons opened up a 35-31 lead by the end of the third period. In the fourth and final quarter, a quick three by Eckerd's Chelsea Johnson gave the Tritons their biggest lead of the day at 38-31, and the contest began to look bleak, as Eckerd used a three point play by Kacie Juday to take a 45-35 lead with 5:59 to play.
The Lady Blazer defense took complete control of the game from that point forward, however, and shut out the Tritons for the remainder of the contest. While doing so, the Blazers pieced together a comeback attempt that was highlighted by a game-tying three by Mitchell and a pair of game-sealing free throws by senior
Maggie Davis that put the Blazers on top 48-45 with just seconds to play.
Davis was the third player to contribute double-digit figures in the scoring column, as she posted 11 points on a 3-for-4 shooting effort that also included a three pointer and a perfect 4-for-4 effort from the stripe.
As a team, the Lady blazers shot 34.9 percent from the field and made a difference on the final outcome with their ability to capitalize on mistakes and outscore Eckerd 10-6 on turnovers.
With the win, Valdosta State improved to 2-0, while the Tritons shifted to 1-1 overall on the young season.
The Lady Blazers return to action at home on Saturday to host Trinity in a non-conference matchup at The Complex. The contest kicks off at 2:00 p.m. at The Complex, although that time is subject to change due to the possibility of playoff football in Valdosta, Ga.
