VALDOSTA, Ga. -  An 18-0 run in the first quarter and a 23-5 opening frame sparked the Valdosta State women's basketball team to a 77-57 victory over visiting Delta State Friday evening in the Gulf South Conference home-opener for the Lady Blazers.  
 
Despite not having a couple of players available for the game Friday evening, the rest of the team stepped up as senior Aleisha Curry finished with a career-high 18 points on 7 of 10 from the field and 4 of 5 from line, while pulling down five offensive rebounds.  Senior Emma Martin finished with 14 points on 5 of 10 from the field and 4 of 8 from distance, while junior Victoria Ikenasio added 12 points on 5 of 8 from the field and two free throws and junior Taylor Searcey added 11 points on 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line.  
 
As a team, VSU (5-2, 2-1 GSC) shot an even 50 percent for the game on 29 of 58 from the floor, while it was 10 of 27 from deep and 9 of 14 from the line.  The Lady Blazers held DSU to 20 of 50 from the field, while the Lady Statesmen 9 of 20 from deep and 8 of 10 from the line.  VSU scored 32 points off 19 turnovers by the Lady Statesmen as VSU had just seven turnovers in the game for a season-low.  
 
DSU (3-4, 1-2 GSC) was led by 16 points from Wakiryah Daniels, while Elisha Wilson added 14 points.  No other Lady Statesmen had more than six points.  VSU extended its current winning streak to five games against DSU and 11 of 14, while VSU has won the last four meetings in Valdosta versus DSU.  The win gave VSU head coach Deandra Schirmer her 89^th victory at VSU (89-30) and her 65^th victory in GSC play (65-19). 
 
The Lady Blazers raced out to a 23-5 lead through the first quarter as VSU opened the frame going 9 of 11 from the field (81.8%) and 1 of 2 from distance, while it was 4 of 6 form the line.  The Lady Blazer "D" held DSU to 2 of 13 from the field and 1 of 5 from deep.  After Grace Watson tied the game at 5-5 with 7:07 left in the quarter, the Lady Blazers closed the frame on a 18-0 run highlighted by big plays both offensively and defensively from Searce and Curry, while junior Tyasia Reed buried a triple at the buzzer for the 23-5 lead.  VSU forced nine turnovers of the Lady Statesmen in the opening stanza and outscored DSU 16-2 in points off miscues, while VSU had just two turnovers in the frame.
 
DSU opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run, but back-to-back triples from Martin pushed the lead to 29-11 with 6:53 left in the half.  Curry scored inside for her seventh point of the game and a 31-13 lead with 6:14 to go in the half.   Following a turnover on the Lady Statesmen, Searcey made two free throws for a 33-16 lead with 3:07 to play in the half.  Junior Courtney Stothard buried a long range shot for a 36-16 lead with 2:41 to go.  Reed hit her second trifecta and a 39-19 lead with 1:50 to go in the half for the fifth triple of the game for the red and black.  In the closing seconds of the first half, Curry hit a bucket as time expired for a 41-21 lead at the break.
 
For the half, VSU shot 15 of 26 from the floor for a 57.7 average, while it was 5 of 13 from distance and 6 of 8 from the line.  VSU led by as many as 20 in the half and outscored DSU 18-2 in points off turnovers forcing ten miscues and having just three turnovers.  DSU shot 9 of 28 from the field for a 32.1 clip, while the Lady Statesmen were 3 of 10 from distance and did not make a trip to the stripe.  DSU held a 16-12 lead in rebounding and held one lead at 3-2 with 8:41 left in the first quarter.  
 
Individually, six different Lady Blazers scored in the half led by nine points from Searcey on 3 of 4 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line, while Martin chipped in eight points with two triples.  DSU was led by six points from Elisha Wilson.
 
Curry and Martin continued their strong play for the Lady Blazers early in the third quarter as they helped stretched the lead to 52-26 with 3:57 left in the frame.  Out of a media timeout, Curry scored inside for her 13^th point of the game and a 54-26 lead.  Two triples from DSU cut the lead to 56-32 with two minutes to play in the quarter.   Freshman Erin Whalen hit a triple as the shot clock was winding down for a 59-34 lead. A turnover and score from Ikenasio pushed the lead to 61-34 with less than a minute remaining in the frame.  Martin drained another one from distance at the buzzer for a 64-34 lead for the third buzzer-beating shot of the game for VSU.  
 
The Lady Blazers were 9 of 17 from the field with four triples and one free throw, while DSU was 4 of 13 from the field and 2 of 5 from deep, while going 3 of 4 from the line for the frame.  Martin had a team-high 14 points with four treys to that point.  
 
Delta State scored 14 of the first 21 points in the fourth quarter, pulling within 71-48 on a pair of charity tosses from Watson.  
 
VSU continues at home on Sunday at 2 p.m. as it welcomes Mississippi College to The Complex.  It will be the final home game of the 2023 portion of the season for the Lady Blazers.  VSU will finish with three road games before the Christmas break.