VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team begins a four-game road trip with a pair of games Jan. 8-9 at Shorter.  Friday's game is set for 6 p.m., while Saturday's contest is a 2 p.m. tip.  
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page.  Spencer Van Horn will have the coverage of the games on WJEM 94.3 FM Fox Sports Radio Valdosta and online at foxsportsvaldosta.com. 
 
VSU is a Gulf South Conference-best 5-0 on the year and 5-0 in GSC play as it is off to its best start since the 2005-06 season when the team also started 5-0.  The five-game winning streak for the Lady Blazers is the longest since the 2017-18 season.  The Lady Blazers won a pair of games versus Auburn Montgomery 72-55 and 66-47 this past weekend in Valdosta.
 
This weekend marks the second time VSU has been away from home this season as the Lady Blazers fended off a furious fourth quarter rally at Montevallo on Dec. 16 for a thrilling 62-61 victory. VSU opened the season with an 82-69 victory over West Georgia on Dec. 12 with a big third quarter comeback and posted an 80-76 overtime victory over No. 21 Lee on Dec. 19.  VSU will play Shorter four times in the next six games.  Following the games this weekend, VSU is scheduled to travel to Lee for a pair of games on Jan. 15-16, before returning home to host Shorter, Jan. 22-23, to conclude the season series with the Hawks.
 
The Lady Blazers' 5-0 record leads the East Division of the GSC a game ahead of West Georgia who is 4-1.  Lee sits at 2-1, while West Florida is 1-1, followed by Montevallo (1-2), Shorter (1-5) and Auburn Montgomery is 0-4.  West Alabama leads the West Division with a 2-0 record, while Mississippi College and Union both are 3-1.  Alabama Huntsville is 2-2, followed by Christian Brothers (0-2) and Delta State (0-4).
 
VSU had a pair of impressive wins over AUM this past weekend as the team averaged 69.0 points per game and allowed just 51.0 points per game.  The Lady Blazers shot 45.7 percent from the field in the two games against AUM on 48 of 105 from the floor, drained ten triples and was 32 of 42 from the line, making 11 more charity tosses than the Warhawks attempted (13-21).  VSU averaged 46.0 rebounds per game and allowed just 23.5 per contest.  The Lady Blazers held AUM to just 32.7 shooting from the field (37-113), while allowing 15 triples and just 21 trips to the line.
 
Senior Kayla Bonilla averaged 19.0 points on 15 of 18 from the field with five treys in the wins earning GSC East Division Player of the Week for the second-straight time.  Freshman Alexandria Smith averaged 11.0 points per game and was 7 of 14 from the field, while averaging 9.5 rebounds per game.  She tallied career-highs in points (18) and rebounds (15) in Saturday's victory as she was named GSC East Division Freshman of the Week for the second-straight time also.  Junior Kayla Frey averaged 8.5 points and had a season-high ten points and eight rebounds in Sunday's game, while sophomore Jirah Ards recorded a season-high 11 rebounds Saturday. 
 
The Lady Blazers are averaging 72.4 points per game and 43.8 rebounds per game for the season in the five games thus far.  VSU has been most dominate in the third quarter, outscoring the opposition 113-69 in the frame for the most points of any quarter. Of the 362 total points scored this season by the Lady Blazers, 210 have come in the second half or overtime, outscoring the opposition 210-155 in the second half and overtime. 
 
For the season, VSU is shooting .421 from the field for 46^th nationally and fourth in the GSC, while holding teams to a 36.8 percent clip for 27^th nationally and sixth in the league.  The Lady Blazers are averaging 72.4 points per game for 34^th nationally and fifth in the league, while holding teams to 61.6 points for 30^th nationally and third in the conference.  VSU lead the league in assist/turnover ratio at a 0.9 clip for 37^th nationally, while it is 14^th nationally in blocks for tops in the league.  The Lady Blazers are 12^th nationally in both rebounds per game (43.8) and rebounding margin (+8.8).
 
Individually, Bonilla lead the team averaging 20.0 points per game for 26^th nationally and third in the league.  She leads the league in assists with 23 for 34^th nationally, while she is first in the conference in free throws made (20) and third in free throws attempted (24).  Bonilla is 12 of 18 from beyond the arc this season as her 12 makes are good for second in the GSC and her .667 percentage from beyond the arc is eighth nationally and tops in the conference.  She also has been outstanding from the field this season, going 34 of 52 from the field for a 65.4 clip for seventh nationally. 
 
Graduate transfer Kwajelin Farrar is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game, while she leads the team in rebounding at 10.0 for 24^th nationally.  Farrar has three double-doubles on the year, while she is fifth nationally in offensive rebounds per game (5.0) for second in the conference.  Smith is third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game.  She is 17 of 40 from the field and 11 of 14 from the line, while averaging 6.6 rebounds per game.  Ards is fourth in scoring at 7.8 points per game and 15 of 18 from the line (.833) for second on the team in made free throws.  She is second on the team in assists (17) and is averaging 6.0 defensive rebounds per game to lead the team and is second on the team in rebounding at 8.0 per game.
 
Shorter enters with a 1-5 record overall and has dropped its last four games after a 71-64 win at Auburn Montgomery on Dec. 12.  The Hawks dropped a 78-72 decision at West Georgia on Saturday and a 91-62 decision on Sunday.  Shorter is averaging 61.8 points per game and allowing 81.7 points in the six games this season.  SU is shooting at a .314 clip on 122 of 389, while going 37 of 140 from beyond the arc.  The Hawks have been good at the charity stripe, going 90 of 125, but have struggled on the glass, allowing 48.7 rebounds per game compared to averaging 37.7 per contest. 
 
Individually, Julia Peroni leads the team averaging 12.7 points per game on 25 of 79 from the field, while connecting on ten treys and is 16 of 20 from the line.  She is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game to lead the team.  Jasmine Gaines, the Hawks' leading returning scorer, saw her first action of the season on Jan. 2, scoring 11 points.  Kelly Pickett is third in scoring at 9.2 points per game. 
 
VSU has won 13 of the last 16 meetings in the series, including the last seven-straight and the last three in Rome, Ga.  VSU won both meetings last season, winning 94-74 in Valdosta on Feb. 7, and 97-74 in Rome on Jan. 18.  Senior Delaney Bernard averaged 14.5 points against Shorter in the two meetings last season to lead the team, while going 7 of 17 from the field and drained five treys.  She was a perfect 10 of 10 from the line against the Hawks and averaged 6.0 rebounds in the two meetings.