THE BASICS:
SCORE: Valdosta State 62, Tampa 57
RECORDS: Valdosta State 4-3, Tampa 6-2
LOCATION: Valdosta, Ga. (The Complex)
THE LEAD: Behind a 24-14 fourth quarter, the Valdosta State women's basketball team battled back from as many as ten down for a thrilling 62-57 victory over University of Tampa Tuesday evening at The Complex.  Senior Maddy Corazza paced the Lady Blazers with 14 points.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Tampa jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and led by as many as ten and settled for a 16-8 lead at the end of one as VSU made just 4 of 15 shots in the opening frame.
• The Lady Blazers settled down and used a 10-2 start to the second quarter, capped with a triple from Corazza for the first lead of the game at 21-20 with 5:26 left in the half.
• Tampa's Emily Eshoo buried a triple with 26 seconds left in the half for a 29-25 Spartan lead at intermission.
• Two free throws by Eshoo pushed the lead to six midway through the third and a bucket in the paint from Dori Nagy gave Tampa a 41-34 lead with 3:25 left in the frame.
• Corazza buried a jumper with 1:33 left pulling VSU within 41-38, but Nagy had the answer with the final bucket of the third with 1:08 left at 43-38.  
• Early in the fourth a big triple from Staja Tyghter pushed the Spartan lead back to six at 48-42, but a triple from junior Nari Garner and a bucket from senior Sonya Franklin pulled VSU within one at 48-47 with 6:29 left.
• Corazza again had the go head bucket on a jumper with 5:42 left at 49-48, but Eshoo quickly put UT back in the lead.  
• Tied at 52, senior Crystal Townsend grabbed her own rebound and put back for a 54-52 lead with 2:32 left as VSU would never relinquish the advantage, using a 7-1 run for a 59-53 lead with 34 seconds left.

 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Down the stretch, VSU, who had struggled from the line so far this season, capitalized on the free throws going 7 of 9 since the tie at 52 with 3:12 left.
• The Lady Blazers shot a game-high 8 of 14 from the field in the fourth quarter, while going to the line 13 times in the frame after a combined seven attempts in the first three frames.
• Corazza went 6 of 13 from the field with one triple, one free throw and tied for the team-high six rebounds, while recording three steals.
• Senior Kendra Green came off the bench for 11 huge points on 4 of 11 with one triple and two free throws.
• For the game, VSU shot 37.1 percent on 23 of 62, while going 3 of 16 from beyond the arc and 13 of 20 from the line.  
• The Lady Blazers held a 40-29 lead in rebounding, while capitalizing on the Spartans' miscues, forcing 16 turnovers and leading 15-4 in points off turnovers. 
• Tampa was led by 16 points from Tyghter on 6 of 10 from the floor with two triples and two free throws.  Nagi added 13 points, also on 6 of 10 from the field and a game-high eight rebounds.
• The Spartans shot 45.8 percent on 22 of 48, while going 5 of 16 from beyond the arc and 8 of 13 from the line.
• VSU recorded 11 thefts in the game, sparking a 10-4 lead in fastbreak points and the VSU bench led 22-3, while the Lady Blazers dominated inside 36-22.

 
 
UP NEXT:

• The Lady Blazers travel to Paine College Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip, before returning home to face Georgia Southwestern on Wed., Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. at The Complex.
• Following the GSW game, VSU returns to league play at Lee and at Alabama Huntsville, Dec. 15-17, concluding play before the Christmas break.