VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team opens the 2023-24 home slate Monday evening at 6 p.m. at The Complex versus Brewton-Parker College.  The Lady Blazers are 1-1 on the year, while Brewton-Parker is 5-1.
 
Fans can access links to live stats and audio/video streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com.  The game will be streamed on FloSports with Spencer Van Horn having the call, while the game also will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM with Mike Chason having the broadcast.  Click here for how to purchase FloSports.
 
VSU enters with a 1-1 record after dropping a disappointing 69-64 loss to No. 9 Eckerd in Pensacola, Fla., in the Gulf South Conference/Sunshine State Conference Crossover.  VSU had three players in double figures led by 14 points and nine rebounds from junior Kalifa Ford.  VSU had leads and held a 54-48 lead with 5:40 to play, but was unable to hang on.  After EC had taken the lead late, VSU cut the deficit to 65-64 with 36 seconds left, but Eckerd was true at the free throw line on four attempts for the final margin. Turnovers proved costly for VSU in the game as the Lady Blazers committed 26 miscues leading to 28 points off the turnovers by the Tritons, while VSU forced EC into 15 turnovers for 15 points off the miscues.  VSU dominated the glass, outrebounding Eckerd 43-33 and 14-8 on the offensive end.
 
On Saturday, the Lady Blazers responded with a 72-64 victory over Palm Beach Atlantic as senior Emma Martin had 20 points, while Ford and senior Aleisha Curry each had 17 points.  Martin was masterful in the game as she was 6 of 10 from the field and 5 of 5 from deep, while going 3 of 4 from the line.  Ford also finished 6 of 10 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line, while draining one triple.  Curry came off the bench for 17 points on 4 of 7 from the field and a perfect 9 of 9 from the line.  The Lady Blazers used a 22-10 second quarter for a 36-22 lead at the break, only to see PBA roar back in the third, outscoring VSU 22-11 for the stanza with VSU clinging to a 47-44 lead.  
 
In the fourth, a triple by Kash Ayuso tied the game at 49, but a 7-0 run by the Lady Blazers stretched lead to 56-49 as Curry scored four points during the spurt with 7:22 to go.  Junior Courtney Stothard pushed the lead to ten off a miscue by the Sailfish at 61-51 with 5:01 to play.
 
Down the stretch, VSU swelled the lead to 13 on an "and one" from Curry at 70-57 with 1:11 remaining.  PBA would cut the deficit to eight on a jumper from Whitley in the closing seconds.  VSU went 11 of 15 from the line in the fourth quarter to seal the victory and 7 of 10 from the field for the frame.  PBA went 7 of 18 from the field in the final stanza, but was just 2 of 10 from distance after starting 5 of 15 for the first three quarters from beyond the arc.
 
For the tournament, all four teams, VSU, EC, PBA and host West Florida went 1-1 as UWF upset Eckerd 77-67 on Saturday, after UWF lost to PBA on Friday, 64-58.  For the season, VSU is shooting .411 from the field on 44 of 107 from the floor, while the Lady Blazers are 13 of 32 from deep (.406) and 35 of 48 from the line (.729).  VSU is averaging 68 points per game, while allowing 66.5 and holding teams to a .393 clip from the field on 48 of 122 from the floor.  The opposition is 13 of 49 from deep (.265) and 24 of 39 from the line (.615).  VSU holds a 10.0 rebounding margin at 42.5 to 32.5 per contest.  Turnovers and points off turnovers have been the issue as VSU has committed 46 turnovers in two games and allowed 47 points, while scoring 30 points off the oppositions' 30 turnovers.  
 
Head coach Deandra Schirmer is in her fifth year at the helm of the Lady Blazers as she is 85-29 overall and 63-18 in GSC play.  Junior Taylor Searcey was named to the Preseason All-GSC Team, while the Lady Blazers were picked third in the preseason coaches poll. Also returning for the red and black this season is senior Tamiya Francis, who finished second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game last season and earned GSC All-Tournament accolades a year ago.  Martin, senior Lili Long and Curry, along with junior India Jordan all return following strong campaigns last season. 
 
Schirmer added the services of a number of talented newcomers this season including Western Carolina transfer junior Jacey Justice heads to Titletown as the third Justice-member to play for the Blazers or Lady Blazers.  Her brothers Beau and Blake had standout careers on the men's basketball team.  In addition, junior Perth, Australia, native, Courtney Stothard comes to Titletown from College of Southern Idaho, and freshman Cumming, Ga., native Erin Whalen joins after a good prep career at North Forsyth High School, also looks to make an impact immediately.   There is a bit of an international flavor with the Lady Blazers this season as three players are from Australia (Ikenasio, Long, Stothard), while Francis hails from Toronto, Ontario. 
 
The Barons are a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program and Monday's game will be counted as an exhibition for BPC.  This season, the Barons are led by Madison Evans who leads the team averaging 16.7 points per game on 35 of 83 from the field (.422).  She is 28 of 37 from the line, while averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.  Angel McRae is second in scoring at 8.5 points per game and leads the team averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.   BPC is located in Mount Vernon, Ga., and is coming off a 71-70 victory on Saturday over Midway University (Ky.) as BPC scored with 0.3 seconds to play and the game winner.  Head coach Steve Edwards is in his ninth year at the helm of the Barons and is 109-113 there.  Last season, BPC went 22-8 and 13-5 in the Southern State Athletic Conference.  The Barons lost to Texas Wesleyan in the first round of the NAIA National Championship, 104-87, as Texas Wesleyan reached the Round of 16 last season.  
 
Following the game Tuesday, VSU's next game will be a week from Tuesday at 6 p.m., in The Complex versus Clayton State in the final non-conference game of the season.  VSU opens GSC play at Lee (Nov. 25) and at Shorter (Nov. 27).