JACKSON, Tenn. – A layup from No. 15 Union's Ashtyn Baker with 24 seconds left and two costly missed free throws with a chance to tie by No. 16 Valdosta State, led to a 59-56 victory for Union on Saturday afternoon.  The loss snapped VSU's seven-game winning streak as the Lady Blazers were looking for their first victory over Union on the road since 2016. 
 
Two free throws from Shanique Lucas put Union up 55-54 with 1:14 left. VSU graduate student Kwajelin Farrar put VSU in front 56-55 with 45 seconds remaining for her 19^th point of the game and a timeout by Union.  After advancing the ball to the front court, Baker scored a layup with 24 seconds left for a 57-56 Union lead.  A timeout by VSU followed to advance the ball.  Farrar came up with a huge offensive rebound and a foul on Baker with ten seconds left gave Farrar two shots at the line.  She missed both shots and Union rebounded the ball with six seconds left. 
 
The two missed free throws dropped VSU to 3 of 8 from the line for the game.  Out of a timeout, a quick foul by VSU put Bethany Dillard at the line, making two free throws for a 59-56 score and six seconds remaining.  VSU called a timeout to advance the ball with one last chance for the tie.  Graduate student Nicole Heyn missed a triple at the buzzer. 
 
It was a tale of two halves on Saturday as VSU led by as many as 16 points late in the second quarter, only to see Union roar back in the second half, outscoring VSU 37-21 over the final two quarters.  In a matchup of the top two teams in the Gulf South Conference, VSU fell to 14-3 overall and 9-2 in GSC play, while Union improved to 15-2 overall and 9-0 league play, as it won its 12^th-straight game.
 
Farrar ked three Lady Blazers in double figures with 19 points on 9 of 17 from the field, but was 1 of 4 from the line, five rebounds, two assists, one block and three steals.  Heyn finished with 11 points as did sophomore Tamiya Francis.  Heyn had eight rebounds, five assists and one block. VSU shot 24 of 50 from the field for 48 percent and was 5 of 11 from beyond the arc, but the 3 of 8 from the line proved to be very costly.   
 
Union went 20 of 48 from the field, 9 of 20 from beyond the arc and 10 of 12 from the line as Jaeleincia Williams had a team-high 18 points and Bethany Dillard chipped in 11 points with three triples and two free throws. 
 
VSU opened the game scoring eight of the first ten points and went 5 of 11 from the field in the first quarter, while going 2 of 4 from deep and 2 of 2 from the line.  The Lady Blazers held Union to 4 of 14 shooting from the field as the Lady Bulldogs made three shots from deep and two free throws.  VSU held a 10-6 lead in rebounding for the quarter.
 
The Lady Blazers continued the offensive firepower into the second quarter, with a 15-2 run to start the frame capped with a triple from graduate student Delaney Bernard for a 29-15 lead with 4:07 remaining in the half.  Williams hit a layup with 3:43 left for her eighth point and cut the deficit to 29-17. 
 
Back-to-back scores from Heyn stretched the lead to 33-17 with 2:24 left in the half for her ninth point of the game. Francis swelled the advantage to 35-19 with her first bucket of the game in the final minute of the half as VSU scored 21 of 27 points in the quarter.  Dillard buried a triple at the buzzer for a 35-22 VSU lead at halftime.
 
VSU shot a blistering 56 percent for the half on 14 of 25 from the field, while it was 4 of 7 from deep and 3 of 4 at the line.  The Lady Blazers held a 19-11 lead in rebounding as the Lady Blazer "D" held Union to just 8 of 26 from the field for a 30.8 clip, while the Lady Bulldogs were 4 of 10 from deep and 2 of 2 from the line.  VSU did a lot of its damage inside, to the tune of a 16-8 advantage in points in the paint.
 
Farrar had a team-high nine points on 4 of 8 from the field, one free throw and three rebounds as seven different Lady Blazers scored in the half.  Dillard also had nine points for Union, while Williams had eight in the half as just four players scored for the Lady Bulldogs.
 
A triple from Baker and a jumper from Williams pulled Union within 35-27, but Farrar scored at the other end for a 37-27 lead with 8:12 left in the third.  Francis put VSU up 12 at 29-27, but Williams scored her 12^th point of the game with a layup at the other end with 5:44 left in the quarter.  Union used a triple from Emily Beard for a 39-32 score as the Lady Bulldogs opened the second half scoring 10 of the first 14 points.  A steal by Baker led to a foul with 3:44 left in the quarter as Williams made one free throw for a 39-33 score and a 6-0 run.  Francis ended the run with a layup, but Baker nailed her second trey of the quarter for a 41-36 score with 3:06 left in the frame.
 
Union trimmed the deficit to 41-37 with 1:41 left in the quarter as VSU was just 3 of 12 from the field for the frame and Union was 5 of 10, including three treys.  After two more misses by VSU, Union's Samariah Thompson hit her first bucket of the game with two seconds left, for a 41-39 VSU lead through three quarters as Union outscored VSU 17-6 in the frame.  VSU finished the quarter 3 of 13 from the field, while Union was 6 of 11.
 
VSU got back on track with a big layup from Farrar to open the final stanza, but Williams answered at the other end.  A much-needed trey from Francis pushed the VSU lead to 48-43 with 6:47 left.  She then followed with a steal and layup for a 50-43 lead.  A tret from Beard pulled Union within 50-46 and a steal from Baker led to another trey from Union for a 50-49 VSU lead with 4:33 remaining. 
 
Williams scored on a layup for her 18^th point giving Union its first lead since 13-12 in the first quarter at 51-50.  Farrar put VSU back in front 52-51 with a hook shot with 2:46 left.  The teams traded buckets on the next two possessions as Farrar had another hook shot for two for a 54-53 lead with 1:44 left.   
 
VSU continues on the road on Wednesday evening at Benedict in the second meeting of the season with the Tigers as VSU won 65-58 in Valdosta on Nov. 13.  The Lady Blazers then return home to host West Florida on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m., to begin a three-game home stand.