MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team put up a gutsy second half effort in Memphis, Tenn., but first half shooting woes proved to be too much to overcome, as the Lady Blazers fell 64-57 to Christian Brothers in Gulf South Conference action on Saturday night at Canale Arena.
 
The loss resulted in an even 6-6 record overall on the season for Valdosta State and dropped the club to 2-5 in GSC play. Meanwhile, the Lady Bucs boosted their record to 5-6 on the year and 3-4 against league opponents.
 
The Lady Bucs first half included a 53.8 percent shooting effort, in which CBU point guard Courtney Banks scored 11 of her 16 points on the night while adding three of four assists. Banks' first half performance served as the driving force behind the Lady Bucs' 39 first half points, as CBU utilized effective penetration on offense to outscore the Lady Blazers 20-8 in the paint.
 
The 16 point halftime deficit held throughout the duration of the third quarter, before the Lady Blazers came alive for one final fourth quarter push. Maggie Davis scored nine of her game total of 19 points in the fourth quarter alone, and Jo Bistrow slashed through the left side of the lane for a layup that pulled VSU to within two at 59-57 with 2:33 to play in the quarter. CBU used a Samantha Reeves free throw and a three point play by Rachel Lee, however, to open their lead back up to six at 63-57 with 1:15 on the clock.
 
The Lady Blazers outscored Christian Brothers 17-7 in the final frame, but CBU held Valdosta State scoreless during the final two minutes to escape with the victory. The Lady Bucs claimed the win despite giving up 20 second chance points and allowing the Lady Blazers a 37-21 advantage on the boards.
 
CBU's Lee led all scorers with 18 points on the night after connecting on 5-of-11 from the field with two three pointers and six free throws. VSU's Davis nearly missed a double-double after pulling down nine rebounds, and Madi Mitchell reached double-digits in the scoring column with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting and a 2-of-2 effort from the free throw line.
 
The Lady Blazers return to the court on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. EST to face the Union Lady Bulldogs in Jackson, Tenn. Full coverage will be available right here at www.vstateblazers.com.