ROME, Ga. – Five players in double figures and a 42-21 first half advantage sparked the Valdosta State women's basketball team to an 81-52 victory at Shorter University Monday evening.  
 
The Lady Blazers (4-2, 1-1 GSC) were led by 12 points from senior Emma Martin, while junior Taylor Searcey added 11 points and junior Kalifa Ford chipped in ten points for three starters in double figures.  Senior Aleisha Curry had 12 points off the bench, including 8 of 9 from the line, while freshman Erin Whalen had 11 points, going 5 of 5 from the field and 1 of 1 from deep.  As a team, VSU shot 49.1 percent on 28 of 57 from the floor, while it was 9 of 22 from deep and 16 of 18 from the line.  
 
Shorter (1-5, 0-2 GSC) had a game-high 17 points off the bench from Holley Turner as she was 7 of 9 from the field, 2 of 2 from range and 1 of 2 from the line.  Tiara Lewis chipped in ten points for the Hawks.  The VSU defense held Shorter to 19 of 45 from the field (42.2%) 4 of 10 from distance and 10 of 15 from the line.  The Lady Blazers cashed in a 27-14 advantage in points off turnovers as they forced Shorter into 19 mistakes, while VSU had just 13 miscues and VSU held a 29-21 advantage on the glass.
 
The Hawks scored four of the first six points of the game, but it was the only lead of the game for SU as a triple from Searcey followed and VSU never looked back.  Martin got into the long-range act with a triple for a 10-6 lead.  VSU built the lead to as many as nine at 20-11, before SU's Jordan Kierbow scored on a fast break following a block from Lewis in the closing seconds of the first quarter pulling the Hawks within 20-13.
 
VSU opened the second quarter scoring 16 of the first 22 points and a 36-19 lead with 4:44 to play in the half, capped on a jumper from Whalen.  Junior Tyasia Reed buried a triple for a 41-22 lead with 38 seconds to play and Curry made one of two free throws at the buzzer for a 42-22 advantage at the break as the Lady Blazers outscored Shorter 22-9 for the second quarter, while the red and black was 7 of 11 from the field in the second frame and held SU to 2 of 8 from the field in the quarter.  
 
In the third, senior Lili Long knocked down a triple for a 54-26 lead with 4:41 left in the quarter as VSU began the frame scoring 12 of the first 16 points.  Searcey connected on two free throws with 1:01 left for a 61-36 lead through three quarters.  In the fourth, the lead grew to 28 at 68-40 with 6:34 to play on a jumper from Ford and then Whalen buried a long one for a 73-42 lead and the largest lead of the game with 4:44 to go.  
 
The Lady Blazers return home for the GSC home-opener on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m., versus Delta State and then on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m. versus Mississippi College.