VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 11/18 Valdosta State women's basketball team welcomes Shorter University and Lee University to The Complex this week for a pair of key Gulf South Conference matchups.  VSU and Shorter tip at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, while the Lady Blazers and Lee battle Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. on Hall of Fame Weekend.
 
VSU improved to 14-2 overall and 11-1 in Gulf South Conference play with a pair of wins at Alabama Huntsville (71-44) and at West Alabama (64-44) last week and won at home versus Montevallo on Jan. 8 with an 87-51 score.  VSU shot .521 from the field for the week on 83 of 163, while holding the opposition to a .358 clip on 43 of 120 as the Lady Blazers almost doubled the among out of field goals made by the opponents.  VSU was 18 of 50 from distance and 34 of 47 from the line for a .723 clip, while averaging 27.3 rebounds per game and allowed 24.0 per contest.  The Lady Blazer "D" cored 73 turnovers and had just 36 miscues for the week, while averaging 74.0 points per game and allowing just 46.3 per contest.  VSU held a 90-29 lead in points off turnovers for the week.  
 
Individually, junior Kalifa Ford led three players in double figures, averaging 14.7 points per game on 21 of 32 from the field (.656).  Junior Victoria Ikenasio averaged 13.7 points per game and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game as she was 18 of 32 from the field .563), while senior Aleisha Curry averaged 10.3 points per game and was dominant inside, going 11 of 12 from the field (.917) and 9 of 11 from the line.  
 
Head coach Deandra Schirmer is 98-30 overall in her fifth season at the helm of the Lady Blazers and 74-19 in Gulf South Conference play.  Schirmer is 11-0 versus Shorter and is 6-8 against Lee during her time in Titletown.  If the Lady Blazers were to win both games this week, Schirmer would be 100-30 and be the fourth head coach since 1974 to achieve 100 career wins with the program.  She would be the third-fastest to do so in just 130 total games.  Former head coach Lyndal Worth (1974-1981) needed 120 games, while Charles Cooper (1981-1994) needed 127 as both also achieved the feat in their fifth seasons at the helm of the program.
 
Saturday is the 27^th Annual Hall of Fame for VSU Athletics and the 2024 Class includes; Shelby Altman (Softball 2013-2014), Leo Blay (Men's Tennis 2015-2017), Michael Doscher (Coach 1996-2020), Skip Fite (Baseball 1976-1977), Mike Leach (Coach 1992-1996), Kenny Moore II (Football 2013-2016), Cedric O'Neal (Football 2012-2015), Herb Reinhard (Athletic Director 1992-2024), Holly Satterfield (Softball 2009-2011) and Dr. Cheri and Hamilton Tillman (Contributor 1995 - Present).  Click here to purchase tickets for the 10 a.m., Brunch for Hall of Fame.  Each of the 2024 inductees will be introduced at the basketball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
 
Looking at the GSC standings heading into the second half of conference play, both Union and VSU are tied atop the conference with equal 11-1 record in league play.  Union is 17-1 overall, while VSU is 14-2.  Lee sits three games back of VSU and Union at 8-4 in league play and 10-6 overall, while West Florida is 3.5 games back at 7-4 in league play and 10-5 overall.  Montevallo is fifth at 7-5 in league play and 9-6 overall.  Shorter is 0-12 in league play and 1-15 overall.  Lee will travel to West Florida on Thursday, before heading to Titletown for Saturday's matchup.  Union hosts Delta State and Mississippi College this weekend.  The Lady Blazers' 11-game winning streak is tied for sixth-longest in NCAA Division II with Miles College.  Southern Nazarene (Okla.) and Gannon (Pa.) each have won 14-straight games to lead the nation.  
 
VSU won 13-straight games during the 2022-23 season, which marked the fourth-longest winning streak in school history from Nov. 19, 2022, to Jan. 14, 2023.  This season's current 11-game streak began with an 81-52 victory at Shorter on Nov. 27, 2023.  
 
The Lady Blazers moved up one spot in the WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) Top 25 this week as they are 18^th.  Grand Valley State leads the poll, followed by Ashland, Gannon and Union University is fourth.  The nation's only undefeated team, Southern Nazarene, is fifth.  VSU is the second highest ranked team in the South Region behind Union, while Miles is 23^rd and Tampa is 24^th.  In the D2CSC Poll, as voted on by the sports information directors, the Lady Blazers are 11^th nationally and second in the D2CSC South Region Top Ten.  Union is fifth in the CSC national poll, while VSU is second in the national rankings from the region, followed by Nova Southeastern at 23^rd and Tampa is tied for 24^th.  In the region poll, Embry-Riddle, Kentucky State and Rollins are tied for fifth, followed by Lee at eighth, Miles at ninth and West Florida rounds out the top ten.  Montevallo and Savannah State are receiving votes.
 
The Lady Blazers are third nationally in field goal percentage at a 48.1 clip on 416 of 864 from the field, while the team is 19^th nationally in scoring defense allowing just 56.2 points per game.  VSU is 101 of 275 from distance for a 36.7 clip for 11^th nationally and tops in the GSC.  VSU is second in the GSC in scoring margin at 15.4 points per game for 20^th nationally, while the team is second in the league in rebounding margin at 6.0 per game for 38^th nationally.  VSU also is second in the GSC in steals per game at 8.9, while it is second in the league in turnovers forced per game at a 19.1 clip.  
 
Individually, Ford leads the GSC in field goal percentage at a 55.4 clip for 27^th nationally on 82 of 148 from the field, while senior Emma Martin is eighth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a 46.2 clip on 36 of 78 from distance. Ford's 14.9 points per game leads the team and is fourth in the GSC, while Curry is sixth in the GSC in free throws made (54), fourth in free throw percentage (83.1) and eighth in free throws attempted (65).  Senior Taylor Searcey leads the team averaging 6.1 rebounds per game.  
 
VSU owns a 22-3 record in the last 25 meetings with the Hawks.  The Lady Blazers have won 16-straight in the series, including an 81-52 victory in Rome, Ga., on Nov. 27, 2023.  In that game, VSU had five players in double figures with a team-high 12 points from Martin on 4 of 9 from distance and 4 of 10 from the field, while Curry added 12 points off the bench on 2 of 3 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line.  Ikenasio barely missed a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds as VSU shot 49.1 percent for the game on 28 of 57 from the field.  The Lady Blazers went 9 of 22 from distance and 16 of 18 from the line.  SU had a game-high 17 points from Holley Turner on 7 of 9 from the field, 2 of 2 from range and 1 of 2 from the line.  SU has dropped its last 13 games overall and is 1-15 this season, while going 0-12 in league play.  Head coach LaSheena Nation is 8-57 in her third season at the helm of the program.
 
The Hawks are led by Tiara Lewis who is averaging 12.4 points per game on 62 of 127 from the field for a 48.8 clip.  Lindsey Hardin has a team-high 16 made 3-pointers, while Lewis leads the team averaging 5.9 rebounds per game.  As a team, the Hawks are shooting at a 38.0 clip for the season on 328 of 864 from the field.  SU has 60 made 3-pointers for a 24.9 clip in 241 attempts and is 201 of 289 from the line for a 69.6 average.  SU is averaging 28.5 rebounds per game and allowing 34.4 per contest, while scoring 57.3 points per game and allowing 75.6 per game.
 
Lee enters the week with a 10-6 record overall and an 8-4 mark in GSC play.  The Lady Flames are coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss at home to Union, 98-95, on Saturday.  The Lady Flames have dropped four of their last five games after opening the season winning nine of 11.  Lee held a five-point lead with 89 seconds left in regulation on Saturday against the No. 6-ranked Lady Bulldogs, but Union rallied to tie the game forcing overtime.  In the extra five minutes, Union outscored Lee 16-13, leading by as many as eight points, before the Lady Flames trimmed the deficit to two with nine seconds left.  Lee missed a potential tying triple at the buzzer.  Lee had five players in double figures in the game led by 19 points from Haylee Johnson and 11 assists.  The game saw 73 fouls combined, while Union was 44 of 57 from the line and Lee went 18 of 29 from the stripe.  Lee's Mallory Hampton earned GSC Player of the Week honors, scoring 72 points in three games for an average of 24.0 points per game.  She shot 51 percent from the field and scored a career-high 36 points against West Georgia.  She also surpassed 1,000 career points in a victory last week over Christian Brothers.
 
Head coach Marty Rowe is 630-200 overall in 26 years of coaching and 499-135 in 20 seasons at Lee.  The Lady Flames ae second in the GSC in field goal percentage defense at a 37.2 clip holding teams to 300 of 806 from the field, while holding teams to 72 of 278 from distance for a 25.9 percent clip for tops in the GSC and 29^th nationally.  Lee is second to VSU in scoring defense holding teams to 59.5 points per game, while Lee is second in the league in turnover margin at a 3.5 clip for 55^th nationally.  Lee averages just 14.3 turnovers per game for second in the league and 44^th nationally, while it is third in the league in turnovers forced per game at a 17.75 clip.  
 
Hampton leads the team in scoring at 19.4 points per game for 17^th nationally and second in the league.  Hampton is sixth nationally in free throws made (90) for tops in the league, while she is seventh in free throws attempted (108) also tops in the conference and third in the GSC in free throw percentage at an 83.3 clip.  Hampton is second in the GSC in made field goals (97) for 40^th nationally, while she has attempted 218 field goals for second in the league and 35^th nationally.  She is second in the league to Ford in field goal percentage at a 44.5 clip.  Hampton is fourth in the league in steals (40) and fourth in assists (56).  
 
In the first meeting this season, turnovers proved costly in a 59-53 setback at Lee on Nov. 25.  Senior Lili Long finished with a team-high 14 points leading three players in double figures.  Searcey added 12 points and Curry had ten off the bench.  Hampton finished with 23 points with six assists and seven steals.  VSU held a 49-47 lead with 3:19 to play in the game, but Haylee Johnson nailed a triple after a steal for a 51-49 Lee lead.  Curry tied the game at 51 with 1:51 to play, but Hampton again had the answer and another turnover pushed the lead to four for Lee.  Curry trimmed the deficit to two with 45 ticks left, but Lee made its final four free throws to seal the victory.  
 
The Lady Flames lead the all-time series 15-13 and have won the last four in the series dating back to a 56-55 loss for VSU in Valdosta on Nov. 17, 2022.  Prior to that, VSU won eight of 15 dating back to the beginning of 2018. 
 
Following the two games this season, VSU returns to the road for trips to Delta State (Jan. 25) and at Mississippi College (Jan. 27), before returning home for three-straight beginning Feb. 3 versus West Georgia in The Complex.