VALDOSTA, Ga. – Fresh off a huge 63-57 win at then-No. 16 Lee on Saturday, the No. 10 Valdosta State women's basketball team returns home to host Shorter in a pair of Gulf South Conference games this weekend.  Friday's game is set for 7 p.m., while Saturday's game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com.  The games this weekend will be broadcast on 94.3 WJEM FM with Mike Chason having the call and online at foxsportsvaldosta.com. 
 
The Lady Blazers (8-1, 8-1 GSC) split two games at Lee last weekend, dropping a 63-54 decision in the opener and responded with the win on Saturday.  In Saturday's contest, the Lady Blazers came out with determination for the victory as they flipped the script from the previous day, leading for over 33 minutes of the game, while VSU led for just 1:53 in Friday's contest.  VSU was led on Saturday by graduate transfer Kwajelin Farrar with 11 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, while senior Kayla Bonilla scored 19 points to lead the team, including a season-high 9 of 11 from the line.  VSU held Lee to 19 of 57 from the field (33.3%) and the Lady Blazers were 20 of 25 from the line, while Lee was just 9 of 11 from the charity stripe.  The Lady Flames countered the discrepancy in free throw shooting, going 10 of 24 from beyond the arc four their fourth game of 10 or more made triples this season.  The Lady Blazers dominated the boards, outrebounding Lee 40-29 and led 28-14 in points in the paint.
 
VSU returns home for the first time since Jan. 3, after going 3-1 on the road trip with two wins at Shorter and the split at Lee.
 
VSU moved down two spots in the national poll from eighth to tenth, but is the highest ranked GSC team in the poll while Lee also fell two spots from 16^th to 18^th.  Union and Mississippi College are among others receiving votes.  The Lady Blazers remained at the top spot in the D2SIDA South Region poll.  Lee is second in the poll for the second-straight week, while Union is third after moving up from a tie for fifth following a pair of wins at West Alabama by double-digits in both contests.  Mississippi College sits fourth, followed by Montevallo and Alabama-Huntsville is sixth.  West Alabama is among others receiving votes. 
 
The Lady Blazers lead the GSC with an 8-1 record and the East Division by two games over Lee (5-2) and Montevallo (5-2).  The Lady Blazers own a 2-1 record this season against Lee and won the lone meeting with Montevallo thus far, 62-61 at Montevallo on Dec. 16.  Montevallo is scheduled to visit VSU for a pair of games Feb. 5-6.  Union leads the West Division with a 6-2 record, while Mississippi College is 3-1 and Alabama Huntsville is 4-3.   
 
The Hawks enter with a 1-7 record overall and a 1-7 mark in the GSC.   Shorter had its last two games postponed this past week in home contests versus Auburn Montgomery.  The Hawks haven't played since being swept at home by VSU on Jan. 8-9.  In the series at Shorter two weeks ago, VSU shot 44.6 percent combined in a 79-57 win on Jan. 8 and a 68-48 victory on Jan. 9.  VSU was 54 of 121 from the field, while going 14 of 49 from beyond the arc and 25 of 38 from the line.  The Lady Blazers averaged 34.0 rebounds per game and held Shorter to 27.0 rebounds per game, while SU shot 33.0 percent from the field on 37 of 112.  SU was 8 of 34 from beyond the arc and 23 of 32 from the line.  VSU averaged 73.5 points per game in the series and allowed 52.5 points per game.  Farrar went a blistering 14 of 19 (73.7%) from the field against Shorter, while averaging 7.0 rebounds per game in the two contests.  She shared GSC East Division Player of the Week honors following her performance against Shorter.  Freshman Alexandria Smith averaged 12.0 points per game and was a perfect 10 of 10 from the line against SU.  VSU used key runs in both contests to pull away, including a 37-8 at halftime in the Jan. 9 game. 
 
VSU lead the series with Shorter 15-3 since Jan. 5, 2013.  The Lady Blazers have won nine-straight and are 8-0 at home during that time.  Shorter's last win came on Jan. 9, 2017, in Rome in a 70-63 decision. 
 
The Hawks are led this season by Julia Peroni who leads the team averaging 12.0 points per game.  She is 32 of 98 from the field (32.7%), while leading the team with 12 treys and is 20 of 24 from the line for a team-best 83.3 average at the line.  Peroni leads the team averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.  Jasmine Gaines is second in scoring at 11.7 points per game in three games this season.  She is 14 of 39 from the field, while averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.  Gaines has eight steals in her three games to tie for the team-lead for the season.
 
As a team, the Hawks are shooting 31.7 percent for the season on 199 of 501 from the field, while going 45 of 174 from beyond the arc (25.9%) and 113 of 157 from the line for a 72.0 percent.  Shorter is averaging 59.5 points per game, allowing 79.6 points per contest, while averaging 35.0 rebounds per game and allowing 45.0 per contest.
 
This season, the Lady Blazers are averaging 69.6 points per game, while allowing 59.2 points per contest.  VSU is shooting at a 41.2 average for the season on 219 of 531, while draining 56 triples and is 132 of 183 from the line for a 72.1 average.  VSU has made one less free throw than the opposition has attempted (88-133).  The Lady Blazers are averaging 40.1 rebounds per game, while allowing 33.6 per game. VSU is averaging 11.3 assists per game, 15.7 turnovers per contest and forcing 18.2 miscues per game. 
 
Bonilla leads the team averaging 16.9 points per game.  She has 1,193 points for 15th all-time in school history in career points.  She needs just five points to tie Deidre Williams (1992-96) with 1,198 points.  Bonilla has played in 98 games with 86 starts for her career.  Bonilla is 48 of 92 from the field this season (52.2%), while going 12 of 28 from beyond the arc to lead the team.  She is a team-best 44 of 55 from the line (80.0%) and is averaging 3.7 rebounds per game.  Bonilla has a team-high 31 assists and 26 steals this season. 
 
Farrar is second in scoring at 12.8 points per game.  She leads the team in rebounding at 9.3 per contest, while she is a team-best 50 of 85 from the field (58.8).  Farrar has a team-high nine blocks and is tied for third on the team in steals with ten.  Smith is third in scoring at 9.6 points per game, while going 22 of 25 from the line for a team-high 88.0 average from the stripe. 
 
VSU head coach Deandra Schirmer is 26-12 in her second season at the helm of the Lady Blazers.  Schirmer is 4-0 against Shorter.  Shorter head coach Jared Hughes also is in his second season and is 2-32 at Shorter.
 
Nationally speaking, the Lady Blazers are second in the GSC and 28^th nationally in blocked shots (27), while they are second in the league in free throw attempts (158) for 39^th nationally and third in free throws made (112) for 43^rd nationally.  VSU is second in the league in rebounding margin (6.0) for 36^th in the nation and second in the league in rebounds (321) for 31^st nationally.  The Lady Blazers are. Second in the league in scoring defense at 59.5 points per game for 29^th nationally, while they are 28^th nationally in steals (78) for third in the league.  VSU is 58^th nationally and second in the conference in turnovers per game at 15.5. 
 
Individually, Farrar leads the GSC in field goal percentage at a 59.7 clip for 20^th nationally, while Bonilla leads the league in free throws attempts (44) for 28^th nationally.  She also leads the league in free throws made (35) for 30^th nationally.  Farrar is 18^th nationally and third in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (4.0), while she is third in the league and 26^th nationally in rebounds (72).  Bonilla is 12^th nationally and first in the league in steals (23). 
 
Following the games this weekend, VSU returns to the road at West Georgia next weekend (Jan. 29-30) and at West Florida on Feb. 2, before returning home to host Montevallo.