VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a big 79-67 victory at West Alabama on Saturday, the Valdosta State women's basketball team returns home to host Mississippi College and Delta State this week at The Complex.
 
The Lady Blazers battle Mississippi College Thursday at 6 p.m., and host Delta State Saturday at 2 p.m.  Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page.  The games also will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM with Mike Chason having the call.  
 
In the victory at West Alabama, junior Kayla Bonilla dropped a season-high 29 points on 9 of 17 from the field with four triples and 7 of 11 from the line.  Senior Cheray Saunders had 18 points on 8 of 10 from the field, while senior Nari Garner added 14 points and junior Delaney Bernard chipped in 11 points.  VSU shot a season-high 60.8 percent for the game on 31 of 51, while draining seven triples and went 10 of 17 from the line.  VSU held UWA to just 37.9 percent shooting for the game.  It was the fifth-straight victory for the Lady Blazers.  Bonilla earned Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season for her efforts last week.
 
The Lady Blazers are 12-2 overall and 4-2 in Gulf South Conference play this week as they currently are fourth in the D2SIDA South Region Poll, released Monday.  Lee, who VSU beat earlier this season for the lonely loss for the Lady Flames this season, is the top team in the region rankings, followed by Delta State, Union and the Lady Blazers.  Montevallo rounds out the top five this week and West Georgia sits ninth among other teams ranked in the GSC.  Delta State is ranked 16^th in the D2SIDA Top 25, but receiving votes this week in the WBCA Top 25.
 
Mississippi College enters with a 6-6 record overall and a 3-3 mark in the GSC.  The Choctaws downed Shorter 78-70 the last time out in Clinton, Miss., and have won four of their last six games.  The Choctaws are led by Zariah Matthews, who leads the team averaging 13.2 points per game.  She is 55 of 115 from the field (.478), while draining 13 treys for second on the team and she leads the team at 35 of 48 from the line (.729).  Second on the team in scoring is Shanell Kitchens who is averaging 12.7 points per game.  Coco Hobson is third in scoring at 11.0 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 8.9 per contest.  Hobson is second in made field goals with 54, while Kitchens leads the team with 14 treys. 
 
As a team, the Choctaws are shooting at a .430 clip for the season, while holding teams to a .387 average from the field.  MC has drained 45 triples for the year and is averaging 44 rebounds per game, while allowing 36.1.  The team is averaging 71 points per game and allowing 67.1.  MC leads the conference in steals with 149 for 27^th nationally, while the .272 average against from beyond the arc is good for 42^nd in the nation and third in the league.  MC is forcing 20.6 turnovers per game for 44th nationally and second in the league.  Matthews is 21^st nationally in steals with 36.  
 
The Lady Blazers have a 20-10 record against MC and have won the last four meetings in the series and seven of the last ten.  
 
Delta State enters with an 11-1 record overall and a 4-1 mark in conference play as the Lady Statesmen are a half a game back of the league leaders (Lee, Montevallo, Union) each at 5-1 in the league.  The Lady Statesmen have won a league-best seven-straight games heading into the week and will travel to West Florida, before visiting VSU on Saturday.  
 
The Lady Statesmen are shooting .417 from the field on 330 of 792 from the floor and holding teams to a .328 clip on 245 of 747.  DSU is averaging 49.1 rebounds per game and allowing 37.8 per contest.  DSU is averaging 72.6 points per game and allowing 57.8 per contest.
 
Individually, Qantesha Patterson leads the team averaging 14.9 points per game and 14.1 rebounds per game, while Zyaire Ewing is second in scoring at 13.9 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per contest.  Patterson leads the team with 68 made field goals in 105 attempts for a blistering .648 average.  Ewing is 61 of 158 from the field, while Nia Johnson is 65 of 175 from the floor and leads the team with 32 steals.  
 
The Lady Statesmen lead the league in blocked shots (58) for 19^th nationally and are fifth nationally in defensive rebounds at 31.8 per game.  DSU is ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense (.328) and ninth in offensive rebounds at 17.3 per game.  DSU is second nationally in rebounding at 49.1 per contest, while it is third nationally in 3-point field goal defense, holding teams to a .225 clip.  
 
Patterson leads the nation in rebounding at 14.1 per game, while Ewing is ninth at 11.5.  Patterson also leads the country in offensive rebounds per game at 6.0 per contest.  Both are in the top ten nationally in defensive rebounds, while Patterson is seventh nationally in double-doubles with eight.  Ewing is 21^st nationally in blocks with 26 for second in the conference.
 
DSU leads the all-time series with VSU 39-11, but the Lady Blazers have won seven of eight in the series, including two victories last season in Cleveland, Miss.  VSU won 54-46 in the opening round of the conference tournament on Mar. 5.