VALDOSTA, Ga. - On the heels of two convincing non-conference wins earlier this week, the Lady Blazers of Valdosta State are set to return to Gulf South Conference action this weekend for the first of their final two matchups before the Christmas break.
The month of December started on a sour note for Valdosta State (6-3, 0-1 GSC) with two narrow losses, the first of which came at the hands of West Florida in VSU's only conference matchup so far this season. Just a few short days later in Tampa, the Lady Blazers nearly overcame an 18 point deficit and pulled to within one point in the final minute against the Spartans before falling to the regional opponent. Since then, Valdosta State was afforded the chance to return to The Complex, which provided a much needed shot in the arm for Head Coach Carley Kuhns' squad.
"It felt like we were away from home for nearly a month during that stretch," said Kuhns with a laugh. "It's always good to be back in The Complex and back in your comfort zone in front of great crowds."
Valdosta State's results have taken a turn for the better since their return home, particularly during the last six quarters of action. After a slow start against Lynn on Sunday afternoon, VSU flipped an offensive switch and took off for 47 second-half points. That momentum helped the Lady Blazers overcome a six-point halftime deficit for a win against Lynn, and the team rolled the efficiency right into a Monday night matchup, where VSU torched Thomas University in a 70-35 win. In the game, 10 different players scored two points or more, and 11 different players pulled down at least one rebound. That balance is an encouraging sign for Coach Kuhns.
"Our players are starting to come into their own," added Kuhns. "We're seeing these girls beginning to gel and figure each other out. They are playing more aggressively and starting to take shots within their role and within our offensive game plan. We have a lot of ladies that have the ability to contribute and play on this team, and each of them are expected to have an impact when they come into a game. If we can continue to have so many players effectively contribute, we can be a very dangerous team."
Saturday's matchup pits the Lady Blazers against a Montevallo team that is in the midst of a five-game losing streak. That being said, the Falcons (2-8, 0-2 GSC) are not a team to overlook, as Alabama-Huntsville discovered on November 29th, when the Chargers edged out UM in a 61-58 nailbiter. Valdosta State holds a 21-7 overall record against Montevallo, with the last match between the two programs taking place on January 25, 2009. Valdosta State won that contest 51-50. VSU will enter the upcoming GSC matchup looking for its first league win of the season.
"Montevallo is new to the GSC this year, so we admittedly are not very familiar with them," said Kuhns. "We do know that they are really athletic, and they can attack the basket. That combination can make a team dangerous, because those shots could start falling at any given moment."
The Falcons are led by senior guard D'Miyah Foster, who represents the only player on the squad to currently average double-digit figures in the scoring column at 10.7 points per game. Valdosta State will counter with its trio of seniors, who are each averaging over 12 points per game. In addition, both
Kenya Samone' Dixon and Madi Mitchell rank among the league's top ten in rebounding with averages of 9.8 and 7.8 boards per contest.
Following Saturday's conference skirmish with Montevallo, the Blazers will turn their attention to West Alabama, who currently sits at 4-6 on the season and 1-2 against GSC opponents. UWA's lone conference victory came in a 62-55 win over Alabama-Huntsville on December 3rd. Thus far, the Tigers have been led by impact freshman player Tazsa Garrett-Hammett. The Lagrange, Ga. native has started all 10 of UWA's games this season, and with an average of 14.4 points per game, she currently ranks 12th in the league in scoring.
"West Alabama is similar to Montevallo, in that they are another very athletic team," Kuhns concluded. "We have to find ways to get stops against them and keep people in front without fouling. It's really easy at this point in the season to be excited about going home for Christmas, but we will need to make a concerted effort to stay focused on taking care of business on our home floor before the break."
Tip time for Saturday's contest is slated for 2:00 p.m. The game can be watched live and can be heard live on Talk 92.1 FM in Valdosta or on www.talk921.com. Links to all available forms of coverage, including live stats, can be found prior to tip-off via links available right here at www.vstateblazers.com.
