VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State Lady Blazers took advantage of a slew of Mississippi College turnovers to pick up their second straight Gulf South Conference win, a 67-58 victory on Saturday night at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga..

April Thomas hit a pair of free throws for Valdosta State (11-11, 7-9 GSC) to tie the game up at 19-19 near the midway point of the first half, but the Lady Choctaws controlled the game for the next six minutes with an 9-0 run. The offensive surge gave Mississippi College (8-12, 4-12 GSC) a 28-19 lead with just over seven minutes to go in the half and was fueled by MC guard Kristen Sampson, who scored six of the eight points during the stretch.

The Lady Blazers handled the early deficit in stride, however, as Thomas connected from long range one minute later to spark a 16-3 run for Valdosta State that lasted throughout the remainder of the first frame.

Although the game featured seven lead changes and five ties, they all occurred in the first half, as the Lady Blazers protected their lead throughout the entire second half to pick up the conference win.

Turnovers proved to be lethal for the Lady Choctaws in the game. Mississippi College coughed up the ball 27 times, while the Lady Blazers pressured their opponent all night and picked up 9 steals.

Thomas led the charge for VSU from the field with seven made shots in 19 attempts. She finished the night with four three pointers and a team high 22 points, while Maggie Davis continued her strong play at the offensive end with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and a 4-of-6 night from the free throw line.

As a unit, the Lady Blazers hit 20-of-47 from the field for a 42.6 shooting percentage and committed just 13 turnovers.

The Lady Blazers return to The Complex on Saturday to host the visiting Lady Statesmen of Delta State. Action begins and 6:00 p.m. and will mark the official celebration of the 40th year of Lady Blazer Basketball at Valdosta State.