VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off two impressive home victories last weekend, the No. 15/17 Valdosta State women's basketball team continues at home this Saturday for a 6 p.m. tip against Georgia College at The Complex. 
 
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 Lady Blazers were preseason No. 15 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 and moved to 17^th following the two wins last weekend in the D2SIDA Top 25 this week, after receiving votes in the preseason poll.
 
VSU won 72-40 over Palm Beach Atlantic and then battled back from a halftime deficit for a 65-58 victory over Benedict in the South Region Crossover at The Complex last Friday and Saturday to open the season.  Graduate student Kwajelin Farrar dropped 20 points and ten rebounds against the Sailfish, while sophomore Tamiya Francis began her VSU career with 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 3 of 4 from range, along with two assists and a game-high four steals.  Fellow graduate student Mallory Odell finished her first game as a Lady Blazer with 14 points and 11 rebounds.   VSU held PBAU to just 21.3 percent shooting from the field and 2 of 22 from beyond the arc. 
 
In the game against Benedict, VSU had four players in double figures led by 17 points from graduate Delaney Bernard and 16 from Francis, who dished out a team-high seven assists, nine rebounds and recorded three more steals.  Sophomore Jirah Ards added 11 points and Farrar chipped in ten points.  Once again, VSU held its opponent to poor shooting percentage from beyond the arc as the Tigers went 3 of 24 from range.  For the season, the VSU opposition is 5 of 46 from beyond the arc, while VSU is 15 of 54. 
 
Georgia College enters with a 1-2 record after a 78-51 loss at Edward Waters on Wednesday.  GCSU dropped its opener in an 81-49 loss to Barton and then won a 68-63 decision over Southern Wesleyan, outscoring SWU 25-12 in the fourth quarter.  GCSU trailed SWU 51-43 entering the final stanza.
 
The Bobcats are under the direction of head coach Ross Jolly who is 7-38 in his third season at GCSU.  Jolly's team was picked tenth in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll and had the opportunity to play at Tennessee in an exhibition game this season and also battled Chattanooga in an exhibition contest. 
 
GSCU is led this season by Harper Vick who leads the team averaging 13.3 points per game, while Anaya Cone leads the team averaging 5.5 rebounds per game.  Ashyia Willis is second in scoring at 9.3 points per game.  Vick is 13 of 29 from the field for the season, 1 of 4 from range and 13 of 19 from the line.  Willis is 12 of 32 from the floor, while Cone is 6 of 11 from the field and has pulled down 11 rebounds in two starts.  As a team, the Bobcats are averaging 56.0 points, while shooting at a .405 clip.  GCSU is averaging 41.0 rebounds per game and allowing 39.3 rebounds per contest.
 
VSU leads the all-time series with Georgia College 15-11 and won in Milledgeville with a 59-50 decision on Dec. 7, 2019.  The Lady Blazers had four players in double figures in the game.  Current Lady Blazers Bernard, seniors Kayla Frey and Abby Rouse, along with sophomore Kendall Bollmer all saw action in the game.  Rouse finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. 
 
The Lady Blazers are led this season by Francis who is averaging 16.5 points leading three players in double figures.  Francis is 11 of 19 from the field (.579) and 6 of 12 from beyond the arc, while going 5 of 8 from the line.  She is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game for second on the team and leads the team with nine assists and seven steals.  Farrar is second in scoring at 15.0 points per game.  She also is 11 of 19 from the field and 8 of 12 from the line.  Farrar is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game to lead the team. 
 
As a team, the Lady Blazers are shooting at a 39.1 clip on 43 of 110 from the floor.  They are 15 of 54 from range (27.8) and 36 of 53 from the line for a 67.9 average.  VSU is averaging 42.5 rebounds per game and allowing 37.0 per game.  Teams are shooting 32.2 percent on 37 of 115 from the field and 19 of 34 from the line.  VSU is outscoring the opposition 68.5 – 49.0. 
 
Following the game on Saturday, VSU continues at home over the Thanksgiving Holiday, hosting No. 22/RV Bentley, Columbus State and Eckerd in the VSU Thanksgiving Classic.  The Lady Blazers will face Columbus State on Friday, Nov. 26 at 12 p.m., and then will face Bentley on Saturday, Nov. 27 also at 12 p.m.  This will conclude the five game homestand to begin the season for the Lady Blazers as they are scheduled to wrap up the first month of the season on Nov. 30 at Georgia Southwestern at 7 p.m.