VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind a 30-11 run from five-minute mark of the first quarter over the final 15 minutes of the first half, sparked the No. 23 Valdosta State women's basketball team to a 78-51 victory over previously unbeaten Columbus State in the first game of the 2021 VSU Thanksgiving Classic.  Lady Blazer graduate student Nicole Heyn made her Lady Blazer debut with a game-high 17 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 7 of 8 from the line, along with six rebounds leading three players in double figures.
 
Following a very disappointing performance on Tuesday in a 56-45 loss to Georgia College, the Lady Blazers (3-1) responded Friday, going 27 of 56 from the field for a 48.2 average, while draining 6 of 17 triples and went 18 of 29 from the line against the Cougars.  VSU outrebounded Columbus State 46-33 and held CSU to just 16 of 53 shooting for a 30.2 clip.  
 
The Cougars (5-1) were 5 of 20 from range and struggled from the line on 14 of 29 shooting from the stripe.  Imani Arnold was the lone player in double figures for the Cougars with 15 points, seven points and four steals.
 
Along with Heyn, who missed the first three games of the season with an injury, graduate student Kwajelin Farrar added 15 points and seven rebounds, going 7 of 11 from the floor, while sophomore Lili Long added 14 points on 4 of 7 from the field, knocking down two treys and going 4 of 4 from the line.  
 
The Lady Blazers weathered the Cougars' 40-minutes of pressure as CSU entered the game averaging 34 turnovers per game.  VSU turned the ball over 20 times, but forced 22 miscues by the Cougars.  CSU held a 16-15 lead in points off turnovers for the contest.  CSU entered the game at just 16 miscues per game.
 
VSU broke a 10-10 game with a triple from long with 1:33 left in the first quarter sparking a 10-0 run through the rest of the quarter for VSU and the run continued into the second quarter as VSU stretched the lead to 26-10 on a jumper from Long with 7:11 left in the half.  Amber Abusbeih ended the run with a steal and score for a 26-12 lead with 6:27 left.  VSU stretched the lead to as many as 21 late in the half capped with a trey from Long for a 36-15 advantage.  VSU settled for the 36-18 lead at the half.  
 
Two free throws from sophomore Tamiya Francis put VSU up 47-24 midway through the third quarter the Lady Blazers had the answer each time Columbus State looked as if it were going to cut into the deficit leading 58-34 through three frames.
 
Long earned the "and one" in the fourth giving VSU a 66-35 lead with 5:42 left in the game, marking the largest lead of the contest for the Lady Blazers.  VSU went on for the 78-51 victory and improve the Lady Blazers to a 3-1 record in the past four meetings with the Cougars.
 
VSU returns to action Saturday at 12 p.m. versus No. 16 Bentley in the first meeting between the two schools on the hardwood.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats and streaming of the game.