VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team returns to the NCAA postseason for the first time since in four seasons as it opens the regional Friday evening at 8 p.m. against a very familiar foe in Lee University at the University of North Georgia.
 
The Lady Blazers are the No. 3-seed in the regional, while Lee is the No. 6-seed, as the teams split four meetings with each other, including each winning on the opponent's home floor.  In the last meeting, last week in the Gulf South Conference semifinal in Valdosta, Lee jumped out to as many as a 16-point advantage in the first half, only to see the never-give-up Lady Blazers roar back to take the lead with 2:31 left.  In a wild flurry of action in the closing minutes, Lee regained the lead on a triple from Julia Duncan with 1:27 left, following two missed free throws by the Lady Blazers.  Trailing by one with seven seconds left and the ball, VSU had an untimely turnover as Haley Schubert hit two tosses for the three-point lead.  VSU senior Kayla Bonilla launched a desperation heave at the buzzer but it was no good.
 
VSU senior Kwajelin Farrar posted her tenth double-double of the season in the loss with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Bonilla had a team-high 17 points.  Farrar was named to the GSC All-Tournament Team.  Schubert led the way for Lee as she finished with 24 points against VSU leading four starters in double figures.
 
North Georgia was awarded hosting duties for the championship in early February and is the top-seed in the regional after defeating regional No. 2-seed Lander in the Peach Belt Conference championship.  Union, who won the GSC title, is the No. 4-seed followed by No. 5-seed Montevallo and Lee.  The four GSC teams in the regional all comprised the semifinal round of the GSC Championship last week. 
 
No tickets will be sold for the regional as it is a closed admission event.  Only a limited number of spectators on each institution's official pass list will be granted admission.  Fans can access links to live stats, streaming and more on the championship by clicking the NCAA South Regional Central tab to the right of this story.  Also click on the second link to the right for the complete season stats for VSU this season.
 
VSU will have radio coverage of the regional with Spencer Van Horn calling the action on 94.3 WJEM FM and online at foxsportsvaldosta.com. 
 
In the newest Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25, VSU fell from seventh to 12^th following the loss to Lee.  North Georgia sits third at 17-1, followed by Lander at 17-1 at fifth.  VSU is 17-3 for the season, while Union is 25^th at 18-5.  Montevallo enters with a 14-6 record, while Lee is 15-7.  Both UM and Lee are not ranked in the poll nor among others receiving votes.
 
The Lady Blazers are making their 13^th appearance in the NCAA postseason and are 13-12 all-time in the NCAA Championship with a third-place finish in 1984.  VSU last was in the tournament as mentioned earlier in 2018, losing to Union in the Sweet Sixteen in heartbreaking fashion, 74-73.  VSU also played Lee that season in the regional semifinal, winning 63-57.   
 
Lee is making its fifth trip to the NCAA postseason this season as it is 1-3.  The Lady Flames were included in the field and received hosting duties last season, before the championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 
 
Montevallo is making its first appearance in the NCAA postseason in 2021, while Union is 6-4 in five appearances since 2015.  Union also qualified last year before the pandemic.  Lander is 12-13 in 14 appearances, including 2020.  This is the seventh-straight year, including 2020, Lander has qualified for the postseason as it reached the regional final in 2019.  North Georgia is 6-3 in four appearances in the postseason, including 2020.  In 2019, UNG won the Southeast Regional and lost to Lubbock Christian in the national quarterfinal round of the Elite Eight.
 
The Lady Blazers are under the direction of second year head coach Deandra Schirmer, who was named Gulf South Conference East Division Coach of the Year after leading VSU to a 16-2 record and the regular season East Division title.  Schirmer is 34-15 in her two seasons in Titletown. 
 
Lee finished as runner-up in the GSC Championship in a 70-56 setback to Union.  Schubert went an uncharacteristic 1 for 12 from the field and 0 of 4 from range, while making six of eight free throws in the loss.  Lee shot just 27.6 percent for the game on 16 of 58 from the field, while going 10 of 37 from range and 14 of 16 from the line.  Hannah Garrett had 27 points on 8 of 22 from the field and knocked down five treys and was six of six from the line.  Union shot a blistering 55.6 percent on 25 of 45, while it was 10 of 21 from range and 10 of 13 from the line.  Union dominated Lee on the glass, 39-23, and 34-14 on the defensive end.   Shanique Lucas dropped 26 points and ten rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs and Jaelencia Williams added 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Along with Farrar, Schubert, Garrett, Williams and Montevallo's Marisa Snodgrass all were named to the GSC All-Tournament Team.  Lucas was named Most Outstanding Player. 
 
From an all-conference perspective for the season, Farrar was named GSC East Division Player of the Year, while Bonilla earned first team all-conference accolades.  Sophomore Jirah Ards earned second team honors for the Lady Blazers. 
 
Schubert earned first team all-conference honors for Lee, while Garrett and freshman Julia Duncan were second team honorees.  Duncan also was named GSC East Division Freshman of the Year.  Snodgrass earned first team all-conference, while teammate Jordan Jones was a second team selection.  Williams was named GSC West Division Player of the Year and earned first team all-conference honors, while Lucas also was a first team selection.   Union head coach Mark Campbell earned GSC West Division Coach of the Year honors.