VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team used a 23-13 fourth quarter en route to a thrilling 76-69 victory over visiting Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday afternoon.  VSU junior Kayla Bonilla paced the team with 26 points, including 15 in the second half, leading three players in double figures.
 
The Lady Blazers improved to 10-2 on the year and now will head into the holiday break.  The Lady Blazers return to action on Jan. 2, 2020, hosting West Florida at 6 p.m. at The Complex.  Bonilla finished a season-high 10 of 19 from the field, 2 of 7 from beyond the arc and 4 of 5 from the line, while recording a season-best nine assists.  Along with Bonilla, senior Nari Garner dropped 16 points on 6 of 10 from the field with three triples.  Senior Cheray Saunders added ten points.
 
Lenior-Rhyne (3-8) had 21 points off the bench Karlie Bearden as she was 9 of 12 form the field and 3 of 4 from the line.  Hanna McClung added 14 points and Madeline Hardy chipped in a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. 
 
Trailing 56-53 entering the final stanza, the Lady Blazers caught fire, beginning with a junior Delaney Bernard triple for a 62-60 lead with 7:56 left, as VSU would never relinquish the lead the rest of the game.  The triple began a 6-0 run for the Lady Blazers.  LR cut the deficit to three at 66-63, but Bonilla buried a triple for a 69-63 score with 5:37 left.  Garner then hit another big trey for separation and a 73-65 lead with 4:12 remaining.
 
The Bears had one last run as they chipped the deficit back to five, but Bonilla answered with two big free throws with 20 seconds left for the 76-69 win.
 
For the game, VSU shot 53.7 percent for a season-high on 29 of 54 from the floor, while going 8 of 21 from beyond the arc and 10 of 13 from the line.  VSU had 31 rebounds, with 19 assists and seven steals.  LR shot 40.7 percent for the game on 24 of 59, while going 5 of 9 from range and 16 of 22 from the line.  Both teams had 19 turnovers in the game as VSU held an 18-16 lead in points off turnovers.  VSU dominated inside to the tune of 40-26.  
 
LR scored six of the first eight points of the game, but a triple from Bernard and a jumper from Bonilla gave VSU its first lead of the game at 7-6 with 6:08 left in the first quarter beginning a 9-0 run.  
 
The Bears quickly responded with a triple from Kennedy Weigt starting an 8-0 run by the visitors for a 14-11 lead with 2:47 left in the quarter.  VSU sophomore Kayla Frey tied the game at 17 with 1:07 left, but Ashley Woods scored inside with 39 seconds left for a 19-17 LR lead through one frame.
 
VSU then scored 16 of first 22 points in the second quarter for a 33-25 advantage with 4:52 left in the half as the Lady Blazers began the second frame 6 of 9 from the field with two treys and two free throws.  Bonilla pushed the lead back to eight at 36-28 with 3:06 left on a coast-to-coast layup, but the Bears wouldn't go away quietly as they scored seven of the final ten points in the half.  VSU led 39-35 at intermission. 
 
For the half, VSU shot and even 50 percent on 15 of 30 from the floor, while draining 3 of 11 triples and went 6 of 9 from the line.  Bonilla had 11 points for VSU, while Garner had 10 points.  Bonilla was 5 of 10 from the field, while Garner was 4 of 6 with two triples.  
 
LR shot 43.3 percent for the half on 13 of 30, while going 3 of 10 from range and 6 of 8 from the line.  Bearden had a team-high 11 points off the bench for the Bears as she was 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line.  LR held a 20-14 lead in rebounding. 
 
The Lady Blazers pushed the lead to a game-high nine points on a layup from Bernard at 45-36 with 8:35 left in the third, but the Bears roared back tying the game at 49, with 4:19 left on a layup from Hardy and a timeout by VSU.  
 
Out of the media timeout, McClung buried a triple for a 52-49 lead for LR, marking the first since the first quarter of the game.  LR led 56-53 at the end of three as ten turnovers by the Lady Blazers proved costly.