VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind a 21-10 fourth quarter and a 41-26 second half, the Valdosta State women's basketball team got back on the winning track with a 64-50 victory Thursday evening versus Trevecca Nazarene in the first meeting between the two schools in program history.
 
Lady Blazer sophomore Erin Whalen finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, going 6 of 11 from the field and 2 of 2 from distance and three steals.  Senior Kiersten Nelson finished with 12 points on 5 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 from the line.  VSU shot 45.6 percent from the field on 26 of 57, while it was 8 of 22 from distance and 4 of 7 from the line.
 
Trevecca shot 17 of 44 from the field for 38.6 percent, while it was 6 of 16 from beyond the arc and 10 of 11 from the line. Tatum Shaw paced the team with 13 points and three triples along with two free throws.  Cheyenne Trotter added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
 
VSU snapped a two-game skid with the win and improved to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in Gulf South Conference play, while Trevecca fell to 4-7 overall and 1-4 in league play.
 
Trevecca ended the first quarter, scoring five of the final seven points for a 14-9 lead through ten minutes.  Two free throws from TNU's Jayda Woods ended an almost four-minute drought by both teams in the second quarter giving the Trojans a 16-9 lead with 6:07 to play in the half.   A 7-0 run by the Lady Blazers tied the game at 16 on an "and one" from Nelson. 
 
Trotter pushed the lead back to four, but a huge triple from senior Jillian Schenk trimmed the deficit back to one at 20-19 with 3:06 to play in the half.  TNU stretched the lead back out twice more, but VSU pulled within one each time and Whalen had the final bucket for a 24-23 deficit at the break.
 
Lady Blazer senior Kenya Edelhart hit a triple with 8:33 to play in the third giving VSU its first lead since early in the first quarter, starting a 6-0 run for a 29-24 lead with 7:25 to play in the frame.  Back-to-back triples from Schenk and Whalen pushed the Lady Blazer lead to eight at 35-28 with 5:40 to play in the quarter.
 
Two triples from Jeannae Bolin gave TNU the lead at 38-37 with 1:46 to play in the quarter, but senior India Jordan answered quickly at the other end with a triple and a 40-38 lead late in the frame as VSU settled for a 43-40 lead heading to the fourth. 
 
The three ball kept falling in the fourth as Shaw hit one tying the game and Schenk answered beginning a 7-0 run for a 50-43 lead with 6:24 to go as VSU opened the final 10 minutes with a 15-5 run to take command of the game.  Junior Aryana Hicks knocked one in from downtown for a 56-45 lead with 4:44 to go and then scored in the paint for a 58-45 lead moments later.  VSU stretched the lead to 16 in the final minute and settled for the 64-50 win. 
 
The Lady Blazers return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Lee University at The Complex.