VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 16 Valdosta State women's basketball team returns to the road this week as it heads to The Volunteer State to face Christian Brothers at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 20, in Memphis, Tenn., and then over to Jackson, Tenn., on Saturday, Jan. 22 for a 3 p.m. ET matchup with No. 15 Union.  
 
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 games also will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM in Valdosta with Spencer Van Horn having the call.  Check back following the games for complete stats and recaps of each contest.  
 
Heading into the week, the Lady Blazers sit tied with West Florida at 8-1 in league play and a half game behind league-leading Union at 8-0.  Lee and West Alabama each are 5-2 and tied for fourth in the standings, while Delta State sits at 5-4 for fifth.  Union won at Montevallo on Jan. 13, 74-70 and then defeated Auburn Montgomery on Jan. 15, 82-67.
 
VSU has the second-longest current winning streak in the Gulf South Conference at six games, while Union leads the way with ten-straight victories.  Union's ten-game streak is tied for sixth-longest currently in NCAA Division II, while VSU's six-game streak is tied for 17^th nationally.  Savannah State leads the nation with a 15-game winning streak dating back to last season and the team is a perfect 14-0 this season.
 
The Lady Blazers moved up three spots in the newest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 this week to 16^th.  Drury (Mo.) leads the top 25 this week with 574 points and 22 of 23 first-place votes, followed by Fort Hays State (Kan.), Glenville State (W.Va.), Texas A&M-Commerce and Ashland (Ohio) rounds out the top five.  Azusa Pacific (Calif.) is sixth, followed by Lander (S.C.), Alaska Anchorage, North Georgia and Lubbock Christian (Texas) concludes the top ten.  
 
Union is the highest ranked team in both the Gulf South Conference and South Region at 15^th this week, followed by VSU.  Tampa currently is 18^th and Eckerd is 21^st in the rankings, as both are members of the Sunshine State Conference, while Savannah State, a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), is 22^ndmaking its first appearance in the rankings this season.  Both West Florida and Lee are among others receiving votes.
 
In the D2SIDA Top 25, VSU moved up three spots from 23^rd to 20^th this week.  Drury also leads that poll, followed by Texas A&M-Commerce, Fort Hays State, Ashland and Alaska Anchorage rounds out the top five.  Union is ninth in the D2SIDA poll, while Tampa is 16^th, followed by VSU at 20^th.  West Florida, Savannah State and Eckerd all are receiving votes in the poll.  For the D2SIDA South Region Poll, Union leads the poll, followed by Tampa, VSU, West Florida and Eckerd is fifth.  Savannah State is sixth, followed by Lee, Barry, Saint Leo and West Alabama rounds out the top ten.  Miles and Benedict are among others receiving votes.
 
The Lady Blazers are under the direction of third-year head coach Deandra Schirmer who is 49-17 at VSU and 34-13 in Gulf South Conference play.  A win on Thursday would give Schirmer her 50^th at VSU in 67 games becoming the fourth-quickest VSU women's basketball coach to 50 victories in program history.  Lyndel Worth was the quickest to 50 victories at 50-12 in 62 games, while Charles Cooper was one game behind her in 63 contests (50-13) and Jane Williamson won 50 games in 64 contests (50-14).  
 
Schirmer and the Lady Blazers are coming off a pair of hard-fought, home victories last week in with a 47-35 victory over Delta State and a 76-58 win over Mississippi College.  The win over Delta State marked the second time this season VSU has allowed less than 40 points in a game as the Lady Blazers held West Georgia to 37 points in a 63-37 victory on Dec. 4.  In addition, the 35 points allowed last Thursday was the fewest since a 70-35 victory for VSU against Thomas University on Dec. 11, 2017.  The last time VSU allowed less than 35 points was in a 101-30 win against Trinity Baptist on Dec. 1, 2016. 
 
Against Delta State, VSU used a 14-5 second quarter for a 28-17 lead at halftime and then outscored the Lady Statesmen 19-18 in the second half for the victory.  VSU held the Lady Statesmen to 27.7 percent shooting from the field as DSU was just 5 of 12 from the line in the game, while VSU was 13 of 19 from the stripe.  Graduate student Kwajelin Farrar led the Lady Blazers with 11 points.  
 
Saturday's contest saw VSU race out to a 20-2 lead through the first quarter, only to watch Mississippi College battle back for a 39-28 deficit at halftime.  The Lady Blazers pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Choctaws 21-13 for the final stanza for the 76-58 victory.  Sophomore Tamiya Francis had a team-high 17 points, while graduate student Nicole Heyn had her third double-double of the season with 16 points and ten rebounds.  Heyn and Francis combined for 10 of 16 from the field, 3 of 7 from range and 10 of 12 from the line with 15 rebounds six assists and four steals for 33 total points. 
 
Nationally speaking, VSU leads the GSC and is 13^th nationally in scoring defense allowing 53.3 points per game, while the Lady Blazers are 24^th nationally and second in the league in scoring margin at 14.7 points per game.  The defense is holding teams to a 35.2 average from the field for 32^nd nationally and second in the league.  VSU is fourth in the GSC in both free throw attempts (315 / 26^th nationally) and free throws made (209 / 38^th nationally).  The Lady Blazers are outrebounding their opposition by a margin of 7.3 for third in the GSC and 36^th nationally.  VSU leads the league in 3-point field goal defense as teams are connecting from downtown at a 25.4 average for 34^th nationally.  
 
Individually, Farrar is 29^th nationally and third in the GSC in field goal percentage at a 56.6 clip on 90 of 159 from the floor to lead the team.  She is 28^th nationally and second in the league in offensive rebounds per game at 3.9, while she is sixth in the league in total rebounds (124) and seventh in the conference in rebounds per game at an 8.3 clip.  Heyn is fifth in the GSC in defensive rebounds per game (5.8), while she is fourth in the conference in steals per game at a 2.42 clip.  Francis is fifth in the GSC in assists with 55 and sixth in assists per game at a 3.7 clip.  
 
Christian Brothers is 5-11 overall and 4-6 in Gulf South Conference play after an 83-76 victory at Alabama Huntsville on Tuesday.   Four CBU players were in double figures led by a game-high 25 points from Emily Jones, while Yaya Coleman added 17 points.  CBU shot 49 percent for the game and went 12 of 24 from beyond the arc in the contest.  The Lady Bucs used a 15-4 run for a 20-19 lead through the first quarter and built a 49-35 lead at halftime.  CBU led by as many as 17 in the third, but UAH trimmed the deficit to 65-56 heading to the final stanza.  UAH pulled within 71-67 in the fourth, but CBU hit four of its final seven shots for the victory.
 
As a team, the Lady Buccaneers are averaging 68.9 points per game and allowing 79.7 points per game this season.  CBU is shooting at a .388 clip for the season, while it is at a .304 average from beyond the arc and are at a .728 clip from the line.  The Lady Bucs are averaging 38.3 rebounds per game and allowing 42.1 per contest.  Teams are shooting .434 against CBU this season and .324 from beyond the arc.  Nationally speaking, CBU is in the top 40 in 3-point field goals made (118/24^th) and 3-point field goals per game (7.9/36^th) this season for top three in the GSC in both categories.  CBU is 17^th nationally in 3-point field goals attempted for second in the GSC with 388.  
 
Individually Emily Jones leads the team averaging 19.7 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.7 per game.  Jones' 19.7 points per game lead the GSC and good for 16^th nationally.  She is sixth nationally in free throws made (81) and 12^thnationally in free throws attempted (95).  Her 85.3 free throw average leads the GSC and is 48^th nationally.  Jones is seventh in the GSC in field goal percentage at a .451 clip, while she is second in the league in field goals made (93) and third in field goals attempted (206).  Yaya Coleman leads the team averaging 7.6 rebounds per game and is second in scoring at 14.1 points per game.  Coleman has a team-high five double-doubles this season for sixth in the GSC.
 
VSU has won 10 of the last 17 meetings in the series dating back to Nov. 29, 2002.  The Lady Blazers won the last meeting, 75-69 on Nov. 23, 2019, in Memphis, and have won four of the last five in the series.  VSU has won six of eight meetings in Memphis. 
 
Union enters the week with a 13-2 record and an 8-0 mark in the GSC.  The Lady Bulldogs host West Florida on Thursday, before entertaining the Lady Blazers on Saturday.  Union's last loss came on Nov. 24 at then-No. 3 Drury (Mo.), 73-56.  Union also has a loss to Tampa this season in a 77-67 decision on Nov. 13.  Union has won its last 12 home games dating back to a 64-57 loss against West Alabama on Jan. 29, 2021.  Union is 7-0 at home this season.  
 
The Lady Bulldogs are under the direction of head coach Mark Campbell who is in his 23^rd year the helm of the team.  He is a staggering 671-107 at Union for an .862 winning percentage.  Union moved to NCAA Division II before the 2014-15 season and has gone 190-41 since moving to Division II.  Union leads the all-time series with VSU 13-3 and has won the last two meetings in the series.  VSU won in the GSC Semifinals on Mar. 9, 2019, 68-62, snapping a streak of five-straight wins by the Lady Bulldogs.  VSU's only win in Jackson came on Dec. 17, 2016, in a 61-57 decision as Union is 8-1 at home against the Lady Blazers.  
 
This season, the Lady Bulldogs are third nationally in field goal percentage at a 48.3 clip to lead the GSC.  Union is second in the league and 26^th nationally in assist/turnover ratio at a 1.12 clip, while it is third in the league and 33^rd nationally in scoring margin at 13.5 points per game.  The Lady Bulldogs are tops in the league and 24^th nationally in scoring offense at 76.7 points per game, while they lead the league in 3-point field goals made (124 / 18^th nationally), 3-point field goals per game (8.3 / 21^stnationally) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.2 / 3^rd nationally).  The team also leads the league in turnovers per game at just 13.8 for 35^th nationally.  
 
Individually, Jaelencia Williams is ninth nationally in field goal percentage at a 60.2 clip for tops in the league.  She leads the league in blocked shots (34 /10^th nationally), while she is seventh in defensive rebounds per game (5.3), fourth in double-doubles (6) for 27^th nationally, fourth in rebounds (129) and fifth in rebounds per game (8.6).  Emily Beard is 13^th nationally and tops in the league in 3-point field goals made (41) and third in 3-point field goals made per game (2.73) for 31^st nationally, while she is fourth in 3-pointers attempted in the GSC (91) and 19^th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a 45.1 clip. Teammate Bethany Dillard is 14^th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a 45.7 clip on 32 of 70 from range.  Beard is 41 of 91 from downtown for the season. 
 
Following the two games this weekend, VSU continues on the road next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., at Benedict, before returning home to host West Florida on Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. at The Complex.