VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Lady Blazers will be seeking revenge on Thursday night against the rival Tigers of West Alabama, who broke the hearts of Blazer Nation when Malaka Johnson hit a buzzer beater in overtime to defeat Valdosta State 69-67 just over one month ago in Livingston, Ala.
Throughout the years, the two league rivals have squared off 66 times, and Valdosta State holds a convincing 40-26 lead in the all-time series against the Tigers. Wins haven't come easy for VSU though, particularly in recent years, as the Tigers have defeated VSU four times in the two teams' last seven matchups since the beginning of the 2011 season.
Thursday night's contest is a big one for the Lady Blazers, who are currently battling for one of the top eight spots in the conference and a return trip to the 2015 Gulf South Conference Tournament. Valdosta State is currently locked up with Alabama Huntsville in sixth place, with just one game separating VSU and UAH from Shorter and West Alabama, who are currently tied for eighth place. With each of these four teams competing for only three available spots in postseason play, the final three games of the regular season hold a significant amount of weight.
Thankfully, for Head Coach
Kiley Hill and his 2015 squad, Valdosta State has the luxury of closing out their regular season with three straight games in the friendly confines of The Complex in Valdosta, Ga. The Lady Blazers have performed much better at home throughout the season with eight wins against five losses.
The Lady Blazers are also riding high this week after learning that freshman
Jo Bistrow was named the GSC Player of the Week. Bistrow's honor comes on the heels of a week in which she scored 19 points and posted one of her best outings of the season last Thursday against the No. 23 Union Lady Bulldogs. She fell just one point shy of tying a career high in that game after scoring 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field.
