CLEVELAND, Miss. – On a cold shooting night, the No. 11/15 Valdosta State women's basketball team found a way for its 14^th-straight victory in a 65-54 win at Delta State, sweeping the season series. 
 
The Lady Blazers improved to 17-2 overall and 14-1 in Gulf South Conference play, while Delta State fell to 8-9 overall and 6-7 in league play.  VSU shot just 40 percent for the game on 26 of 65 from the field, while the team was 4 of 18 from distance and 9 of 11 from the line.  In the second half, VSU outscored DSU 41-28 after trailing 26-24 at the break.  VSU shot 50 percent in the second half on 16 of 32 from the field, went 3 of 9 from deep and 6 of 8 from the line after a cold first half on 10 of 33 from the field, 1 of 9 from deep and 3 of 3 from the line.
 
VSU continues in the Magnolia State on Saturday at 3 p.m., versus Mississippi College, but the game will be played at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss., at the Owens Health and Wellness Center.   Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com.  The game also will be broadcast on Talk 92.1 WDDQ FM with Jack Calhoun having the call. 
 
With the win, VSU has won six-straight versus the Lady Statesmen and now has won four of the last five in Cleveland, Miss.
 
Turnovers were a key part of the game as VSU had just nine turnovers, while forcing the Lady Statesmen into 21 turnovers leading to a 21-6 lead in points off turnovers.  The Lady Blazers held a 35-26 lead in rebounding for the game.  Individually, senior Kalifa Ford had a team-high 18 points on 7 of 16 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line as the only player in double figures.
 
Delta State was led by 14 points from Makenzie Hill, who went 3 of 7 from the field, 2 of 4 from deep and 6 of 10 from the line.  The Lady Blazer "D' held DSU to 38.1 percent shooting on 16 of 42 from the field, while the Lady Statesmen from deep and 13 of 19 from the line.   It marked the 12^th time this season VSU has held the opposition under 40 percent shooting and the fourth-straight game. 
 
In a defensive struggle by both teams in the first half, Delta State raced out to a 5-0 lead through the first three minutes and change as Ford got the Lady Blazers on the board with 6:45 left in the quarter for a 5-2 deficit.  Ford was the workhorse for the Lady Blazers, scoring 11 of VSU's 15 points in the frame, going 4 of 7 from the field and 3 of 3 from the line as the Lady Blazers trailed 17-15.  The rest of the team was a combined 2 of 11 from the field for the quarter.  VSU opened just 6 of 18 from the field, 0 of 5 from distance and 3 of 3 from the line in the opening frame, while DSU was 6 of 11 from the field, 3 of 4 from range and 2 of 2 from the line.
 
The second quarter got off to a good start for VSU with a triple from senior Lili Long for VSU's second lead of the game, but the Lady Blazers went scoreless for the next seven minutes and DSU used a 9-0 run for a 26-18 lead with 6:10 to play in the half.  The Lady Blazers then found their footing offensively in the final two minutes of the half, going on a 6-0 run with two buckets from junior Victoria Ikenasio and a layup from senior Taylor Searcey with 11 seconds to play pulling VSU within 26-24 at the break.  DSU didn't score for the final 6:10 of the second quarter.
 
Both teams scored just nine points in the second quarter, while it marked the first time VSU had trailed at the break since Jan. 6, when it trailed 28-27 at home to Auburn Montgomery and just the fifth time all season.
 
Ford had 11 points – all from the first quarter to lead the way for VSU as the team was 10 of 33 from the field, 1 of 9 from deep and 3 of 3 from the line.  VSU had 15 rebounds with seven turnovers, while DSU was led by 12 points from Hill on 3 of 4 from the field, 2 of 3 from deep and 4 of 6 from the line.  The Lady Statesmen shot 9 of 21 from the field, 4 of 8 from deep and 4 of 8 from the line.  DSU had 17 rebounds, but committed 13 turnovers.  VSU held an 11-6 lead in points off turnovers as the Lady Blazers forced DSU into six turnovers in the final 7:26 of the half. 
 
DSU opened the second half with a 7-0 run for a 33-24 lead and a timeout by VSU with 7:40 left in the third as the cold shooting continued for VSU, opening the second half 0 for 5.  VSU was saddled with four quick fouls leading to DSU going 5 for 5 from the stripe in the first 2:20 of the half. 
 
Senior Taylor Searcey got VSU on the board in the second half with 1 of 2 at the stripe and then hit a bucket pulling VSU within 35-27 with 6:37 to play in the frame after another fast start by the Lady Statesmen.  Senior Aleisha Curry came up with a steal and a bucket from Long cut the deficit to 35-29, but a triple from DSU at the other end swelled the lead back to nine at 38-29 for the fifth trifecta of the game by the Lady Statesmen.  Long answered back with her second triple of the game with 5:02 to play in the quarter and a 38-32 deficit. 
 
A steal and bucket from Ford, followed by a bucket from senior Emma Martin pulled VSU within 38-36 with 3:18 left in the quarter for a 7-0 run by the Lady Blazers.  Out of a timeout by DSU, an offensive rebound following a steal led to a bucket from Searcey to knot the game at 38 with 2:22 left in the quarter. Ford stretched the run to 11-0 with a bucket off a steal from Martin for a 40-38 lead to end the quarter.  The key to the run was forcing five turnovers and an 8-0 lead in points off turnovers by the Lady Blazers.
 
Junior India Jordan scored her first bucket of the game for a 42-38 lead with nine minutes to play, stretching the run to 13-0.  Two free throws from DSU ended over a seven-minute scoring drought trimming the VSU lead to 42-40 with eight minutes to play.  Senior Tamiya Francis dialed long distance pushing the lead to 45-40 at the other end and Jordan then got into the long-range act for a 48-40 lead with 7:09 to go. 
 
Jordan had a theft and two free throws for a 52-43 lead with 5:35 remaining for her seventh point of the game.  Martin's jumper pushed the lead over double-digits at 54-43 with 4:52 to play as the Lady Blazers continued to crash the defensive glass.  Two DSU triples pulled the Lady Statesmen within 56-49 with 3:38 to play, but Francis scored a big bucket at the other end pushing the lead back to nine at 58-49 with less than three minutes remaining.  Curry hit another big shot for a 60-49 lead and an offensive foul on the Lady Statesmen gave VSU the ball with 1:55 to play. 
 
Ford's 17^th point of the game put VSU up 11, with 50 seconds left, but another triple from DSU's Chelsea Hamilton pulled the Lady Statesmen within 62-54 with 27 ticks remaining.  DSU had to foul twice to get VSU into the bonus.  Ford made one of two at the line for a 63-54 lead.  Out of a DSU timeout, Searcey grabbed a big rebound and was fouled with 17 seconds, making both free throws for a 65-54 final.