VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a 64-57 win over Lynn on Monday, the Valdosta State women's basketball team makes its first road trip of the season on Thursday Georgia Southwestern at 7 p.m., in Americus, Ga.
 
Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page. 
 
The Lady Blazers improved to 3-1 with the win Monday behind the first double-double of the season from sophomore Erin Whalen with 12 points and 11 rebounds and 13 points each from junior Aryana Hicks and seniors Kiersten Nelson and Victoria Ikenasio, the Lady Blazers rallied from as many as 11 points down for the win. Nelson went 6 of 10 from the field, while Whalen was 5 of 16 from the field with 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals.  Hicks finished 5 of 7 from the field, six assists and a team-high four steals, while Ikenasio was big off the bench, going 5 of 9 from the field with five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.  
 
As a team, VSU shot 25 of 53 from the field for 47.2 percent, going a combined 15 of 27 from the field in the second half, after opening just 9 of 26 for the first two quarters.  The Lady Blazers were just 1 of 8 from distance and 13 of 25 from the line, while holding a 31-27 lead in rebounding in a game that saw five lead changes and three ties.  
 
Georgia Southwestern enters with a 1-2 record on the year with an 85-61 win over Florida Tech, along with a 72-59 loss to Belmont Abbey and an 84-59 loss to UNC Pembroke.  The 'Canes are under the direction of head coach Missy Tiber this season as she previously was head coach at North Alabama for 11 seasons and no stranger to the Gulf South Conference. 
 
This season, Ndidiamaka Ndukwe leads the team averaging 22.7 points per game for ninth nationally.  She is 23 of 55 from the field for a .418 clip, while she is 10 of 26 from distance for a .385 clip to lead the team and averaging a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game.  Destiny Garrett is second in scoring at 13.3 points per game on 13 of 32 from the field and a perfect 13 of 13 from the line.  Garrett is dishing out 7.3 assists per game with 22 dimes for the season in three starts.  
 
As a team, the 'Canes are shooting at a .404 clip on 69 of 171 from the field, while they are 22 of 68 from distance (.324) and 43 of 59 from the line (.729).  GSW is averaging 34.0 rebounds per game and scoring 67.7 points per contest.  Conversely, the opposition is 79 of 187 from the field for a .422 clip and 11 of 32 from beyond the arc (.344), while going 48 of 59 from the line (.814).  The opponents average 38.3 rebounds per game and 72.3 points per game.
 
GSW went 29-4 in 2023-24 earning a trip to the Elite Eight after winning its second-straight Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles.  The 'Canes return three of their top four scorers from last season led by first team all-league selection Jashanti Simmons, along with Ndukwe who earned NCAA Southeast Region Most Outstanding Player honors and second team all-league honoree Garrett.  The 'Canes were picked fourth in the Preseason PBC Coaches Poll.
 
VSU leads the series 8-3 since 2008 and has won the last four, including a 66-52 win in Valdosta on Nov. 22, 2022.  The teams are tied during that span 2-2 in Americus and VSU won there 78-69 on Nov. 30, 2021. 
 
The Lady Blazers are tenth in the D2SIDA South Region Top Ten, while GSW is tenth in the Southeast Region Top Ten.  Both currently are among others receiving votes in the WBCA Top 25.  VSU was 25^th in the preseason WBCA poll, while GSW was 17^th.    
 
This season, the Lady Blazers are led by Nelson who is averaging 15.0 points per game on 25 of 47 from the field for a .532 clip.  She is 10 of 17 from the line, while averaging 5.3 rebounds per game for second on the team.  Hicks is second in scoring at 11.8 points per game on 20 of 37 from the field (.541).  She leads the team with 16 assists in four games.  Third in scoring is Whalen at 11.0 points per game and she leads the team with 10.5 rebounds per contest.  Whalen is 19 of 49 from the field (.388).  
 
As a team, the Lady Blazers are shooting at a .419 clip from the field on 108 of 258.  The team is 18 of 75 from distance (.240) and are 49 of 76 from the line (.645).  VSU is averaging 70.8 points per game and allowing 55.8 points per contest, while averaging 35.0 rebounds per game and allowing just 29.8.
 
Following Thursday's contest, the Lady Blazers will head to Clayton State for a Nov. 26 matchup with the Lakers, prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.  Following the holiday, the Lady Blazers open GSC play at West Alabama on Dec. 5 and at Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 7, before returning home for three league games prior to the Christmas holiday beginning Dec. 15.