GSC Women's Championship Central

VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team, the No. 5-seed in the Gulf South Conference Championship, will travel to No. 4-seed Delta State for a 7:30 p.m. ET matchup Tuesday in Cleveland, Miss. VSU and Delta State split the season series with each team winning on the opponents' home floor.  
 
The Lady Blazers are 19-9 on the year and went 13-7 in GSC play this season.  VSU is coming off a 64-50 win over Auburn Montgomery on Thursday evening for Senior Night.  VSU has won two-straight games and four of six.  
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more on vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page.  Should the Lady Blazers win Tuesday, they would advance to the semifinal round of the conference tournament in Birmingham, Ala., on Mar. 9 and play the winner of the top-seeded Union vs. West Alabama game at 1 p.m. ET at Pete Hannah Center.  The 2019 Gulf South Conference Championship game is set for 1:30 p.m. on Mar. 10, with the winner earning the automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.
 
The Lady Blazers most likely will need to win the conference tournament to advance to their third-straight NCAA South Regional.  VSU has not been ranked in either of the first two NCAA South Region rankings. The 2019 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Selection Show is scheduled for Mar. 10 in the evening on NCAA.com. Check back with vstateblazers.com for link and time for the selection show.
 
VSU is 20-24 all-time in the GSC Championship as the 20 wins ranks second all-time among current members of the conference and ties for second all-time among all members of the GSC. The Lady Blazers have reached the semifinals 15 times with seven trips to the championship game and has won the league title three times, with the last being in 2017.  Prior to the championship in 2017, VSU had not won the title since back-to-back championships in 1983 and 1984.  In the 2017, championship VSU downed West Florida 91-79 as it outscored the Argos 13-1 in the overtime period.  Former Lady Blazer Madi Mitchell was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.
 
Delta State has the most tournament wins with a 58-14 record (.795) in 31 appearances. DSU has 24 semifinal appearances with 23 trips to the championship game and 16 titles, including last season.  The 58 wins leads the GSC all-time as do the 24 semifinal trips, 23 final appearances and 16 titles.  
 
The Lady Statesmen are 18-9 overall and 13-7 in conference play as VSU and DSU tied for fourth in the league standings.  DSU has won its last three games, including the 70-66 win in Valdosta on Feb. 16, and has won five of six.  
 
DSU is led by Nia Johnson who is averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game on 149 of 327 from the field (.456) and is28 of 88 from beyond the arc (.318) for second on the team. She is 74 of 86 from the line (.860) to lead the team.  She leads the team in assists with 73 and steals with 40.  Quantesha Patterson is second in scoring at 11.5 points per game. She is 120 of 191 from the field (.628) to lead the team.  She is second on the team in rebounding at 7.5 per game.  Frederica Haywood leads the team in rebounding at 8.9 per game and is third in scoring at 9.2 points per contest.
 
As a team, the Lady Statesmen are shooting at a .432 clip on 698 of 1617 from the field, 96 of 291 from beyond the arc (.330) and 32 of 444 from the line for a .723 clip.  DSU is averaging 39.4 rebounds per game and holding teams to 33.0 rebounds per contest, while scoring 67.1 points per game and allowing 61.7.
 
In the two meetings with the Lady Statesmen, VSU shot .471 from the field on 48 of 102, while going 15 of 32 from beyond the arc (.469) and 24 of 34 from the line (.706).  VSU averaged 34.5 rebounds per game and scored 67.5 points per game.  Sophomore Kayla Bonilla led four players in double figures against DSU as she averaged 15.0 points on 11 of 25 (.440) and 3 of 7 from beyond the arc.  
 
Lady Blazer senior Crystal Townsend averaged 12.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game as she was 9 of 15 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line to lead the team.  VSU held DSU to .413 from the field on 45 of 109, while the Lady Statesmen were 6 of 19 from range (.316) and 34 of 43 from the line (.791).  DSU averaged 28.5 rebounds per game and 65.0 points per contest.
 
Sophomore Kayla Bonilla leads the Lady Blazers this season averaging 11.2 points per game.  She is 105 of 260 from the field (.404) and 23 of 70 from beyond the arc.  Bonilla is 81 of 110 from the line, while leading the team with 93 assists and 45 steals. Townsend is second in scoring at 10.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 per game.  She is 21 of 55 from beyond the arc and 65 of 87 from the line.  Franklin is third in scoring at 10.2 points per game and is a team-high 113 of 241 (.469) from the field.
 
As a team, the Lady Blazers are shooting .387 from the field on 629 of 1624, while going 138 of 468 from beyond the arc and 350 of 560 from the line.  VSU is averaging 41.1 rebounds per game, while allowing 33.2.  The Lady Blazers average 62.4 points per game and allow 56.7 per contest.