VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind a career-high 26 points, nine made field goals and eight made three points, junior Emma Martin sparked the Valdosta State women's basketball team to a 75-62 victory over visiting Auburn Montgomery Saturday afternoon on Senior Day.

Prior to the game, VSU honored four seniors playing in their final regular season home game.  The 2023 senior class included Jirah Ards, Kendall Bollmer, Kayla Frey and Shanice Nelson.  Blazer Nation would like to wish each of these outstanding student-athletes the best in their future endeavors.  
 
Martin finished 9 of 12 from the field and 8 of 11 from beyond the arc for 26 points leading three players in double figures.  Martin was named Guardian Bank Lady Blazer Player of the Game.  Junior Tamiya Francis had 11 points off the bench, while sophomore Kate Tanner added ten points.  The Lady Blazers (19-5, 18-4 GSC) shot 48.3 percent from the field on 28 of 58, while they were 12 of 30 from deep and 7 of 10 from the line.  
 
AUM (7-20, 6-17 GSC) finished 25 of 60 from the field, 8 of 24 from distance and 4 of 5 from the line, while Kamya Hollingshed had a team-high 20 points and Allasha Dudley chipped in 19 points.  No other Warhawk had more than six points. 
 
In a very tightly contested first quarter, VSU pulled ahead over the final two minutes and change, scoring five of the last seven points of the quarter breaking a 12-12 score for a 17-14 lead through one frame. 
 
The offense came alive in the second quarter, for a 10-4 spurt to start the frame and a 27-18 lead with 4:43 remaining in the half.  Junior Emma Martin sparked the run with three field goals and two triples.  
 
AUM pulled within 28-24 on an "and one" for Derienne Black, but a jumper Francis, a layup and 3-pointer from Ards and another layup from Francis off a steal swelled the lead to 37-24 with 1:07 left in the half and a 12-0 run.  VSU outscored AUM 20-12 for the second quarter and held a 37-26 lead at the break.
 
For the half, VSU shot 48.3 percent on 14 of 29 from the field, 4 of 14 from beyond the arc and 5 of 6 from the line.  Martin had a team-high eight points off the bench on 3 of 6 shooting and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc.  
 
The Warhawks shot 39.3 percent on 11 of 28 from the field, 3 of 11 from distance and 1 of 1 from the line. Kamya Hollingshed had a team-high six points.  
 
AUM opened the third quarter scoring nine of the first 11 points pulling within 39-35 with 6:26 left in the frame.  Francis answered with a triple, pushing the lead back to seven moments later and then Martin followed with two more trifectas pushing the lead to 48-37 with 4:02 left in the quarter.  Sophomore India Jordan drained one from deep for a 54-41 score with 2:59 to go in the quarter and then Martin drained her fifth of the game from distance at the buzzer for a 60-43 lead heading to the fourth.  
 
Martin continued her heroics with back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth for a 66-43 lead.  Since AUM had pulled within 39-35 early in the third, VSU outscored the Warhawks 27-8 with 8:48 to go in the fourth. 
 
The Warhawks kept chipping away and cut the deficit to 71-56 on a jumper from Allasha Dudley with 5:14 to go.  Senior Shanice Nelson answered with a bucket at the other end as VSU went on for the 75-62 victory. 
 
VSU now will close out the 2022-23 regular season on Feb. 23 at West Alabama for a 6 p.m. ET tip, followed by a trip to Alabama Huntsville on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET.  The Lady Blazers then will return home to host a team to be named later for the Gulf South Conference "Super Tuesday" on Feb. 28 in The Complex.  Tickets are on sale now for the Feb. 28 game.  The game time will be announced on Feb. 25.