VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team, fresh off three big home wins, returns to the road this week as it travels to Auburn Montgomery and Montevallo.  
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming 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 and on www.talk921.com.  
 
VSU and AUM are scheduled for a Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. ET tip, while the Lady Blazers and Montevallo tangle on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. ET.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for complete recaps and stats following the games. 
 
Fans interested in attending the games this week will be required to wear a mask at both locations in Montgomery and Montevallo.  Both schools have a masking policy for indoor venues.  
 
This past week, the Lady Blazers posted a 62-59 victory over Alabama Huntsville and then a very convincing 92-61 victory over West Alabama to sweep the season series with both teams.  The Lady Blazers are 17-4 overall and 12-2 in Gulf South Conference play as they sit second in the league standings behind Union who is 11-0 in league play and 16-2 overall.  Lee sits right behind VSU with a 17-3 record overall and a 10-2 mark in the GSC.  The Lady Blazers host Lee on Feb. 17, looking to avenge a 56-45 loss to the Lady Flames from Dec. 13, 2021.  West Florida is fourth in the standings at 9-5, while West Alabama is fifth at 7-5, right in front of Mississippi College and Delta State who each are 7-6, while Montevallo is eighth at 7-7.  
 
The Lady Blazers are receiving votes in this week's WBCA Top 25 and are 29^th nationally.  For the South Region, Union sits tenth in the rankings, while Tampa is 15^th, followed by Eckerd at 16^th, Lee at 19^th and Savannah State is 20^th. Along with VSU receiving votes is Benedict as the two teams split a pair of games this season.  In the D2SIDA Top 25, the Lady Blazers were sixth in the South Region ranking as the poll went Union, Tampa, Lee, Eckerd, Savannah State and VSU.  Tuskegee was seventh, followed by Benedict, West Florida and a tie for tenth between Florida Southern and Miles. The D2SIDA Top 25 has Union at seventh, followed by Tampa at 14^th, Lee at 20^th, while Eckerd and Savannah State are among others receiving votes.
 
VSU shot 41.1 percent from the field against UAH and UWA, while it was 25 of 60 from beyond the arc (41.7), and 25 of 33 from the line for a 75.8 clip.  VSU averaged 38.5 rebounds per game and allowed 28.0 per contest, while recording 34 assists, two blocks and 16 steals.  Graduate student Nicole Heyn had a pair of 20-point performances, going 12 of 20 from the field and a blistering 10 of 14 from beyond the arc, while she was a perfect 8 of 8 from the line.  Graduate student Kwajelin Farrar averaged 12.5 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds as she was 10 of 17 from the field for the week.  Graduate student Delaney Bernard averaged 10.5 points per game as one of four players in double figures, while going 7 of 17 from beyond the arc for the week.
 
The Lady Blazers used fast starts in both contests last week, outscoring UAH and UWA 42-21 in the first quarter, but outscored the opposition by just four to five points in each of the subsequent quarters.  VSU averaged 77.0 points for the week and allowed 60.0 points per game.  
 
Head coach Deandra Schirmer improved to 53-19 in her third season at the helm of the Lady Blazers.  VSU sits 28^thnationally to lead the GSC in assists with 332, while. The team is tops in the league an 13^th nationally in scoring defense, holding teams to 54.5 points per game.  VSU is 20^th nationally and second in the league in scoring margin at a 15.1 clip.  The Lady Blazers are 15^th nationally and second in the GSC in 3-point field goal percentage at a 36.1 clip. VSU is second in the GSC in 3-pointers made (158) and fourth in 3-pointers attempted (158), while it is third in 3-point field goals made per game (7.5).  Conversely, VSU is holding teams to a 25.4 clip from beyond the arc for 19^thnationally and tops in the league.  
 
Farrar leads the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game, while she is second in the GSC in field goals made (133), while leading the conference in field goal percentage at a 59.1 clip for tenth nationally.  Farrar is fourth in the GSC in rebounds (170) and sixth in rebounds per game at an 8.1 clip.  Heyn is second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a 48.6 clip on 36 of 74.  She is fourth in the GSC in defensive rebounds per game at a 6.2 clip.  Sophomore Tamiya Francis is third in the league in assists with 83.  
 
Auburn Montgomery enters with a 6-12 record overall and a 1-11 mark in the conference. The Warhawks have dropped three-straight and seven of eight. VSU won in Valdosta with a 72-64 victory on Dec. 20, 2021.  In that game, Farrar and Heyn each scored 15 points and freshman India Jordan chipped in ten points off the bench.  VSU used a 21-13 third quarter for a 58-44 lead through three quarters, while AUM outscored the Lady Blazers with a 20-14 fourth quarter.  Catlin Carter was the lone Warhawk in double figures with 20 points.
 
VSU leads the all-time series 11-0 and has a 5-0 record in Montgomery.  The Lady Blazers won twice in Montgomery last season with a 67-52 win and a 75-53 victory on Feb. 12-13, 2021.  The game earlier this season marked just the second game of the series where the margin was under double figures (8), while VSU won 55-49 in Montgomery on Jan. 26, 2019, for the slimmest margin in the series.  
 
For the Warhawks, Carter is ninth in the league at 15.1 points per game, while Jordan Brewster is 20^th nationally and tops in the league at 2.76 3-pointers made per game.  She is second in the GSC in 3-point field goals made (47) for 49^thnationally and tops in 3-point field goals attempted (125) for 77^th nationally.  Brewster is third in scoring at 8.8 points per game, while Allasha Dudley is second in scoring at 11.2 points per contest.  Demaurea Moore leads the team averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
Montevallo enters the week with an 11-11 record overall and a 7-7 mark in the GSC.  The Falcons are scheduled to host West Florida on Thursday, before hosting VSU Saturday afternoon.  UM has won its last four games after opening GSC play 3-7. VSU won 77-68 in Valdosta on Dec. 18 as four Lady Blazers were in double figures led by 16 points from Farrar and freshman Taylor Searcey, who each had double-doubles with Farrar with ten rebounds and Searcey with 11.   The Falcons drained ten triples to stay close in the game, while VSU struggled at the line on 17 of 29, while UM was 4 of 9 from the stripe.  Marisa Snodgrass led the team with 21 points on a perfect 8 of 8 from the field and 5 of 5 from deep, while Jordan Jones added 17 points and Jennifer Andrew chipped in 12 off the bench.
 
VSU leads the all-time series 27-9 and is 10-7 in Montevallo, winning last there on Dec. 16, 2020, with a thrilling 62-61 decision.  VSU built a lead through the first three quarters (47-36), before UM outscored the Lady Blazers 25-15 in the fourth quarter.  Andrews went 1 of 2 at the line with no time left, needing to make both free throws to tie.  VSU has won four of five in the series and eight of ten, dating back to Dec. 16, 2017. 
 
This season, the Falcons are 23^rd nationally and tops in the GSC in free throw attempts (449) and 16^th nationally and tops in the conference in free throws made (328), while their 73.1 average from the line is good for fifth in the league. UM leads the league in rebounds with 869 for 40^th nationally, while its 39.5 average per game is third in the league.  UM is second in the GSC in steals (9.8/g.) and 3-point field goals attempted (501) for 33^rd nationally.  The Falcons are third in the league in 3-pointers made (156) for 39^th nationally and fourth in 3-pointers made per game (7.1).  
 
Individually Snodgrass is second in the league in assists (85), while she leads the league in steals at a 2.5 clip for 42^ndnationally and has a total of 50 thefts for 36^th nationally.  She also leads the league in 3-pointers made (48) for 44^thnationally.  Teammate Kiya Sain is third in steals in the league with 43.  Snodgrass leads the team averaging 11.6 points per game.  Sain is 37 of 121 from beyond the arc and fourth in scoring at 10.1 points per game.  Shyan Flack leads the team averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.  
 
Following the two games this week, the Lady Blazers return home to host Lee and Shorter for Senior Weekend, Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, respectively.  The regular season then will conclude at West Georgia on Feb. 26.