VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State sophomore women's basketball guard Taylor Searcey and senior men's basketball guard Cam Hamilton were named Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week, Thursday.  This is the second honor of the season for Searcey and first for Hamilton.  
 
Searcey, a native of Lincoln, Neb., earned Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honors as she had another outstanding week for the red and black helping lead the team to its ninth and tenth-straight victories in road games at Auburn Montgomery and at Montevallo.  Searcey finished the week 10 of 23 from the field (.435), 2 of 4 from beyond the arc and a blistering 18 of 20 from the line (.900).  She pulled down 7.5 rebounds per game, with five total assists and a team-high six total steals.  
 
She averaged 20.0 points per game for the week.  She had a career-high 24 points on 6 of 12 from the field, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc and a career-best 10 of 10 from the line in the win at Montevallo.  Searcey recorded her second double-double of the season in the game with ten rebounds, to go along with four assists and four steals.
 
For the season, Searcey leads the team averaging 12.1 points per game on 47 of 107 from the field (.439).  She is a team-best 46 of 54 (.852) from the line for 59^th nationally and fourth in the league, while averaging a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game.  She has 35 assists on the year and 34 steals for third in the GSC and 28^th nationally, while her 2.83 steals per game ratio puts her 27^th nationally and second in the league.
 
Hamilton, a native of Charlotte, N.C., had a stellar week for the Blazers helping the team to road wins at Auburn Montgomery and Montevallo.  Hamilton set the career school-record for assists with three at AUM last Saturday and then had five more on Monday for 183 for his career as he surpassed Marlon Jones' (1982-87) record of 176 thefts.  
 
For the week, Hamilton averaged 19.5 points per game on 13 of 27 from the field (.481), while he was 7 of 15 from deep and 6 of 8 from the line.  He had four rebounds with two assists and eight steals for the week.  Hamilton went 9 of 17 from the field, 5 of 9 from distance and 4 of 5 from the line for a season-high 27 points in the 110-103 victory at Montevallo.
 
This season, Hamilton is averaging 9.6 points per game on 49 of 126 from the field, while he is 32 of 83 from beyond the arc for second on the team in made 3-pointers and 24 of 33 from the line for a 72.7 average.  Hamilton has 37 rebounds for the season, while he has 28 assists and a team-high 35 steals.  He is third nationally in steals to lead the Gulf South Conference, while he is second in the GSC in steals per game at a 2.19 clip for 32^nd nationally. 
 
The Lady Blazers and Blazers open the 2023 home slate Thursday evening with a doubleheader against Alabama Huntsville at The Complex with the women's game beginning at 6 p.m., followed by the men's game.