VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team begins a three-game road trip before the Christmas holiday break on Thursday evening at West Georgia.  
 
Tip for the game will be 5:30 p.m. and fans can listen to the game on Fox Sports Valdosta 94.3 WJEM FM and simulcast on Talk 92.1 WDDQ FM with Jack Calhoun having the call of the games.  Following the game, VSU will have a week off and then close the 2023 portion of the schedule at Christian Brothers (Dec. 15) and at Union (Dec. 17).  VSU then opens the 2024 slate on Tues., Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. at The Complex versus rival West Florida.
 
Thursday's game is part of the Red Clay Rivalry Series as UWG holds a 3.0 to 2.0 lead in the series so far.  UWG has a pair of wins in both men's and women's cross country, while the teams split in volleyball and the teams tied in soccer.  VSU won 58-28 in football to pull within one point.  The Blazers won the inaugural Red Clay Rivalry Series in 2021-22, 7-4, while UWG won last season, 6.5-5.5.  This is the first of two basketball games against UWG as the teams will play again on Feb. 3, 2024, in Valdosta.  
 
The Lady Blazers won three-straight games last week with an 81-52 win at Shorter, followed by a pair of convincing wins over Delta State (77-57) and Mississippi College (73-44) at The Complex.  The Lady Blazers are 6-2 overall this season and 3-1 in Gulf South Conference play.  VSU is among others receiving votes in the D2 College Sports Communicators Women's Basketball Top 25 this week.  Union is fourth in the poll, while Tampa is 12^th and Embry-Riddle is 22^nd.  Florida Southern also is among others receiving votes.  In the D2CSC South Region Poll, Union leads the way, followed by Tampa, Embry-Riddle, VSU and Lee rounds out the top five.  West Florida is sixth, followed by Florida Southern, Lynn, Montevallo and Miles checks in at tenth. 
 
VSU senior Aleisha Curry was named Gulf South Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week after her outstanding three games last week.  Curry a native of Lehigh Acres, Fla., helped lead VSU to three conference victories last week in wins at Shorter and at home versus both Delta State and Mississippi College.  Curry averaged 13.3 points to lead the team, while she pulled down 3.7 rebounds per game.  She went 11 of 19 from the field (.579) and was a team-best 18 of 21 from the line (.857).  She had two assists and four steals, while playing 16.4 minutes per game.  
 
Against Delta State, she scored a season-high 18 points, going 7 of 10 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line, while she was 8 of 9 from the line at Shorter and 6 of 7 from the stripe against Mississippi College.  For the season, Curry is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game, while she is 22 of 36 from the field for a team-best .611 clip.  She is a team-high 34 of 38 from the line (.895) and is averaging 2.8 rebounds per game.  Curry also was named Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week for her efforts.
 
For the season, the Lady Blazers are 11^th nationally and second in the GSC in field goal percentage at a .472 clip on 200 of 424 from the field, while the team is second in the GSC in field goal percentage defense holding teams to a .367 clip for 73^rd nationally.  VSU leads the GSC in scoring defense allowing just 57.9 points per game for 48^thnationally, while the team is third in the league in scoring margin at a 13.0 clip for 45^th nationally.  VSU is 34^thnationally in rebounding margin at a 7.5 clip, while the team is averaging 14.25 made free throws per game for third in the league. 
 
Individually, Curry leads the league in free throw percentage at a .895 clip on 34 of 38 from the line, while her 34 made free throws is good for fourth in the league and her 38 attempts are sixth in the league.  Senior Emma Martin is second in the league and 19^th nationally in 3-pointers made with 22, while she is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at a .449 clip on 22 of 49 as her 49 attempts places her third in the league and 58^th nationally.  She is averaging 2.75 triples per game for 28^th nationally and second in the conference.  Junior Kalifa Ford leads the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 5.2 per contest.  Ford is 25 of 50 from the field (.500) and second on the team from the stripe, going 25 of 29 (.862).  Martin is second in scoring at 10.9 points per game on 31 of 65 from the field (.477) with the 22 made triples.  Junior Taylor Searcey leads the team in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game and has a team-high 14 steals and 24 assists thus far.
 
Head coach Deandra Schirmer is in her fifth year at the helm of the Lady Blazers.  She is 90-30 overall and 66-19 in Gulf South Conference play.  Schirmer is 9-1 against UWG during her time in Titletown.  Overall, VSU leads the series with West Georgia 48-35 all-time and 23-20 in Carrollton.  The Lady Blazers have won four-straight in Carrollton, but just six of the last 14 there.  VSU has won 17 of the last 27 meetings overall and has gone 11-2 in Valdosta during that stretch.  Overall, VSU has won eight of the last ten meetings in the series.  
 
West Georgia was picked fourth in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll, once spot behind VSU as the Wolves enter the game 4-2 overall and 1-2 in league play.  UWG opened the season with four-straight wins, before losing their last two games at Christian Brothers (61-50) and at No. 4 Union (96-86).  Joanna Reitz is in her second year as head coach of the Wolves and is 17-18 at UWG.  She guided the Wolves to a 13-16 campaign last season.  This season, the Wolves lead the nation in assists per game at a 20.0 clip, while the team is fifth nationally in defensive rebounds at a 32.0 average and averaging 46.33 rebounds per game for seventh nationally and tops in the league.  UWG is second in the league in rebounding margin at 9.5 for 22^nd nationally, while the team averages 14.3 offensive rebounds per game for 53^rd nationally and second in the league. UWG is 27^th nationally in 3-point attempts per game for second in the league at 25.0, while the team is fourth in the league in 3-pointers per game at a 7.2 clip.  
 
Individually, K'Nari Holliday is third nationally in field goal percentage at a .673 clip to lead the league.  She is third in the league in rebounding at 8.7 per contest.  Jada Powell is tenth nationally in double-doubles with four to lead the league.  She is second in the league in rebounds (64) and 11^th in the nation in rebounds per game at a 10.7 clip.  Powell is third on the team in scoring at a 10.0 clip.  Zuriyah Davis leads the team in scoring at 16.2 points per game for third in the league.  She is second in the league in 3-pointers attempted (53) and sixth in the conference in 3-pointers made with 15.