VALDOSTA, Ga. - A celebration of the 40th year of Lady Blazer basketball is planned to take place on Saturday, and what better event to reflect on the history of VSU women's basketball than with a contest against long-time rival Delta State?
Fittingly, the Lady Blazers (11-11, 7-9 GSC) and the Lady Statesmen (12-8, 10-6 GSC) have squared off 40 times throughout the 40 year history of the program. Valdosta State will aim to make the most of the day with a win over DSU, a task which has proven to be a challenging hurdle in years past. Of the 40 aforementioned contests, Delta State holds the advantage with 35 victories.
Fortunately for Head Coach
Kiley Hill and his Lady Blazer squad, Valdosta State holds momentum entering Saturday night's matchup, thanks to back-to-back victories against both Lee and Mississippi College.
In VSU's most recent matchup against the Lady Choctaws, the Lady Blazers used 23 free throws and a strong defensive effort in which they forced 27 turnovers by the Lady Choctaws to claim a nine-point victory on Thursday night at The Complex. The victory helped the Lady Blazers turn a corner after a devastating month of January that included just two wins in nine games played.
VSU is looking to improve their efforts in February, and are primed to do so if the recent efforts of
Maggie Davis are any indication. Joining
April Thomas, VSU's leading scorer on the season with an average of 14.5 points per game, Davis has surged on offense in recent weeks. Since scoring just two points against North Alabama in a loss on January 24th, the junior has tallied at least 14 points or more, and the Lady Blazers have won two of those three contests.
Davis has also extended her range from the field lately. Prior to January 22nd, the Indialantic, Fla. native had a season total of six three pointers. Since then, she has racked up seven shots from beyond the arc.
The Lady Blazers will need another strong outing to defeat DSU, who have won eight of their last ten matchups, a stretch that has been fueled by a resurgence of Seneca Walton, the reigning GSC Player of the Year, who has climbed to an average of 12.7 points per game to join Rhandi Ball and Chelsey Rhodes with averages of 11.4 and 15.0 points per game, respectively.
