BELLINGHAM, Wash. - In the midst of a lengthy road trip of both distance and duration, the No. 20 ranked Valdosta State women's basketball team held off a pesky Western Washington squad on the Vikings' home turf to secure a 59-56 victory on Friday evening in Bellingham, Wash.

Valdosta State began their trek to Washington State earlier this week to compete in the Lynda Goodrich Classic in the northeast part of the country, and the Lady Blazers started on the right foot Friday night, thanks in large part to a season-high 22-point performance by senior Madi Mitchell. Mitchell finished the offensive breakout effort with a 6-of-15 shooting display from the field and a 10-of-14 night from the free throw line. Thirteen of Mitchell's 22 points came in the fourth quarter, when VSU needed them most.

In addition to Mitchell's solid effort, seniors Taylor Buie and Kenya Samone' Dixon each reached double-digit figures in the scoring column, with Buie posting a season-high 14 points on offense. Furthermore, Dixon tallied yet another double-double - her third in four games - with 10 points and a whopping 15 rebounds. Dixon's 15 boards supplemented 39 team rebounds for the Lady Blazers and helped lead the squad to 12 second chance points on 10 offensive boards.

Both teams went toe-to-toe throughout the first half, leading to a 15-15 tie at the end of the first quarter and a 26-26 tie at the halftime break. Valdosta State broke away in the third quarter, as the Lady Blazer defense locked down to allow just six Western Washington points in the frame. With a 41-32 lead heading into the final period, however, WWU's offense came alive for 24 points. The Lady Blazers weathered the late storm by going inside to their All-Conference senior, and Mitchell answered the call with a layup at the 6:35 mark that sparked the aforementioned 13-point surge down the stretch. The strong finish for Mitchell also included two three-point plays, one of which came with the score tied at 53-53 inside the final minute of the contest.

Despite just a 29.5 (18-of-61) team shooting effort, the Lady Blazers gutted out the win to improve to 3-1 on the season, while the Vikings fell to 3-1 overall.

Both teams will compete again tomorrow in the Lynda Goodrich Classic, with the Lady Blazers set to face Saint Martin's at 3:00 p.m. EST. Live coverage will be provided right here at www.vstateblazers.com.