Valdosta Athletics

THE BASICS:
Score: #23 Valdosta State 65, Albany State 53
Records: Valdosta State 2-0, Albany State 0-2
Location: Valdosta, Ga. (The Complex)
The Lead: The No. 23 Valdosta State women's basketball team battled back from a ten-point deficit and outscored visiting Albany State 23-8 in the fourth quarter for a 65-53 victory Saturday afternoon at The Complex.  VSU narrowly missed out on a pair of double-doubles as redshirt senior Crystal Townsend had 10 points and 11 rebounds, while senior Kendra Green had nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Some sloppy play and poor shooting were the causes of the deficit early for the Lady Blazers as Albany State came in fired up and ready to go.
• The Golden Rams built a 12-5 lead midway through the first quarter, but two charity tosses from Kayla Bonilla and a layup by her cut the deficit to one in the final minute of the first quarter.
• ASU's Passion Thomas buried a triple at the other end for an 18-14 deficit through one period.
• The Golden Rams stretched the lead to nine early in the second quarter, but VSU kept fighting and dwindled the lead to three on a triple from Green and senior Sonya Franklin pulled the team within 26-24 with 2:05 left in the half.
• Thomas hit another triple, but senior Maddy Corazza scored the final three points of the half for a 29-27 deficit at intermission.
• A triple by Townsend to begin the second half gave VSU its first lead of the game, but ASU answered at the other end with back-to-back triples beginning a 12-0 run for a 40-30 lead with 6:59 left in the third.
• VSU answered right back with a 10-0 run capped on a triple from junior Nari Garner as the Golden Rams settled for a 45-42 lead through three quarters.
• Franklin put the Lady Blazers up again on a layup with 7:20 left and a 48-47 lead, but ASU answered right back.
• A triple from Bonilla broke the fifth tie of the game as VSU ended on an 11-0 run over the final 5:36.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• VSU shot 19 of 60 from the field for .317, while going 8 of 26 from beyond the arc (.308) and 19 of 28 from the line (.679). 
• ASU was 19 of 54 from the field (.352) and was just 3 of 12 in the fourth quarter, while the Golden Rams were 7 of 23 from range for the game and 8 of 11 from the line.
• VSU held a 46-36 lead in rebounding and 16-9 on the offensive end.
• The Lady Blazers forced ASU into 14 turnovers in the second half and finished leading in points off turnovers at 23-20.
• Townsend was 4 of 11 from the field with two triples, while recording seven offensive rebounds and 11 for the game, while Green was just 2 of 10 from the field on a pair of triples and 3 of 6 from the line, but pulled down 12 rebounds with 10 defensive. 
• Bonilla led the way with 19 points on 4 of 8 from the field with two triples and was 9 of 10 from the line.  

 
UP NEXT:

• The Lady Blazers head to Palm Beach Atlantic and Lynn, Nov. 19-20, before returning home to open conference play in a huge rematch with Union Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. at The Complex. 
• Union knocked the Lady Blazers out of the tournament last season in the Sweet Sixteen. 
• Check back with vstateblazers.com for more information on the upcoming games.