VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team opens the 2022-23 Gulf South Conference slate Thursday with Lee University at 6 p.m., at The Complex, followed by a home game with Shorter on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m.  

Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com.  The games will be streamed live on vstateblazers.com with Spencer Van Horn, while they also will be broadcast on the radio on 94.3 FM/1150 AM WJEM Fox Sports Radio Valdosta and live online at www.foxsportsvaldosta.com with Mike Chason having the call. 
 
The Lady Blazers are 0-1 on the year after a loss at home to No. 11 Eckerd last Friday, 88-58.  Lee enters with a 1-1 record, while Shorter is 0-2.  VSU fought valiantly against Eckerd in a game that was moved to Valdosta due to Hurricane Nicole in South Florida as the teams were supposed to play at Palm Beach Atlantic in West Palm Beach.  VSU also was supposed to play at PBA, but the game was cancelled.  
 
Despite the loss to Eckerd, VSU sophomore Taylor Searcey tallied her second career double-double leading the Lady Blazers with 14 points and 11 rebounds in her first collegiate start for the red and black.  She went 4 of 12 from the field, 2 of 3 from deep and 4 of 4 from the line, while recording a career-high eight offensive rebounds and three on the defensive end.  She had five assists, one steal and one block earning Guardian Bank Lady Blazer Player of the Game accolades.  Junior Tamiya Francis chipped in 12 points with four treys and sophomore India Jordan also had 12 points, including 6 of 10 from the line.  
 
Head coach Deandra Schirmer is in her fourth year at the helm of the Lady Blazers as she is 62-22 overall and 43-14 in Gulf South Conference play.  The Lady Blazers went 26-6 last season and qualified for the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight for the first time since 1984. 
 
The series with Lee has become quite the rivalry over the last few years, as the teams have played eight times since the beginning of 2021, each winning four contests.  VSU won 70-44 last season in the second round of the NCAA South Regional on Mar. 12, 2022, in Jackson, Tenn., as Searcey finished with 12 points to lead the players who are returning this season for the Lady Blazers in the last meeting.   Overall, the teams split four meetings last season, while VSU won three of five meetings during the 2020-21 season.  Schirmer is 6-4 against Lee in her time at VSU, while the Lady Blazers lead the all-time series 13-11 since Dec. 19, 2013.  VSU is 6-3 against Lee in Valdosta and won the last meeting in Titletown with a last second thriller on Feb. 17, 2022, 52-51, as Francis scored off a steal at the buzzer for the winner.  
 
The Lady Flames split two games in Lakeland, Fla., last week with a 97-79 victory over Florida Southern and a 68-63 loss to host Saint Leo.  Haley Schubert leads the team averaging 25.0 points per game on 19 of 35 from the field (.543).  She is 10 of 12 from the line, while recording eight assists, two steals and one block last week.  Addison Smith averaged 12.5 points last week on 10 of 15 from the field with a team-high five treys and three steals, while Mallory Hampton averaged 12.0 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds for Lee. 
 
Lee is shooting 56.6 percent from the field on 60 of 106, while going 18 of 38 from deep (47.4) and 22 of 28 from the line (78.6).  The Lady Flames are averaging 80 points per game, while registering 27.5 rebounds per game with 29 assists, 25 turnovers, nine steals and two blocks.  The opposition is shooting 44.6 percent from the field on 54 of 121 from the field, while going 16 of 42 from beyond the arc and 23 of 28 from the line.  Lady Flames' head coach Marty Rowe is in his 25^th season coaching overall and 19^th campaign at Lee.  Rowe is 464-123 at Lee, while he is 595-188 all-time coaching and is 11-13 against VSU. 
 
Lee was picked second in the GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll, while VSU was third.  Union was tabbed the league favorite.  
 
Shorter enters the week with an 0-2 record and will play at West Florida before heading to Valdosta for Saturday's matchup.  The Hawks dropped an 85-47 loss to Barry University and an 86-53 setback to Lynn in Rome, Ga., last weekend.  In the two games, Derrica McCall led the team averaging 10.5 points per game on 9 of 24 from the field, 2 of 7 from deep and 1 of 2 from the line.  She had three assists and three steals.  Keyra Peterson averaged 10.0 points per game on 8 of 23 from the field, while draining three from beyond the arc and 1 of 2 from the line.  She led the team averaging 6.0 rebounds per game and a team-high four steals. 
 
As a team, the Hawks shot .322 from the field on 38 of 118 from the floor, while going 11 of 45 from the beyond the arc and 13 of 29 from the line.  SU averaged 50 points per game and 24.0 rebounds per game, while allowing 85.5 points per game and 32.5 rebounds per contest.  Head coach LaSheena Nation is 5-19 in her second year at Shorter after the team went 5-17 last season and 2-16 in the GSC.
 
The Lady Blazers have won 19 of the last 22 meetings in the series and 13-straight.  During the streak, VSU is 11-0 against Shorter in Valdosta.  Schirmer is 8-0 against Shorter.