VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a thrilling 67-57 victory over rival West Georgia on Saturday in front of a raucous crowd of 1,955 fans, the No. 9/12 Valdosta State women's basketball team continues at home this week versus Christian Brothers on Thursday at 6 p.m., followed by a nationally ranked matchup with No. 3 Union on Saturday at 2 p.m. at The Complex.  
 
The 1,955 fans on Saturday marked the third-largest crowd in Lady Blazer women's basketball history as VSU ran its winning streak to 16 games for the fourth-longest current winning streak in NCAA Division II.  Union has won 11-straight since VSU handed the Lady Bulldogs their only setback of the season 83-68 in Jackson, Tenn., on Dec. 17.  Union travels to West Florida on Thursday, before heading to Titletown on Saturday.  The 11-game winning streak for Union is good for a tie for ninth currently in Division II.  Southern Nazarene (Okla.) has won 20-straight games, as has Gannon (Pa.), while Minnesota State has won 17-straight for third, followed by VSU and Azusa Pacific (Calif.) at 16-straight.  
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more of this week's games at vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page.  Both games will be broadcast on FloSports with Spencer Van Horn having the call, while the games also will be broadcast on the radio with Mike Chason having the call on Thursday and Jack Calhoun on Saturday.  Tune to WJEM 94.3 FM Fox Sports Valdosta for Thursday's game and www.foxsportsvaldosta.com, and Saturday's contest will be on TALK 92.1 WDDQ FM and www.talk921.com.  
 
The Wolves gave VSU everything it could handle on Saturday, but junior Kalifa Ford scored a career-high 31 points, including 16 of VSU's 18 points in the third quarter, as she continued her outstanding season.  Ford went a career-best 10 of 19 from the field, 2 of 4 from distance and a career-best 9 of 10 from the line in the game.  Her 16 points in the third quarter were more than UWG scored as a team in the frame (12).  Ford paced three Lady Blazers in double figures, while senior Taylor Searcey added 14 points and senior Aleisha Curry scored 11 points off the bench, including 5 of 5 from the free throw line.  VSU shot just 37.3 percent for the game on 22 of 59 from the field, but went 19 of 20 from the line and forced UWG into 19 turnovers leading 19-8 in points off turnovers.  VSU committed a season-best just five turnovers for the game.  
 
Christian Brothers enters the week with a 2-18 record overall and a 2-14 mark in GSC play.  The Lady Bucs have dropped four-straight since a 68-49 victory at Shorter on Jan. 13.  The Lady Bucs are led by Jeremia Montgomery who leads the team averaging 13.3 points per game.  She is 79 of 175 from the field (.451) to lead the team and is 80 of 93 from the line (.860.  Montgomery averages a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game and leads the team in assists (33), steals (32) and blocks (16).  Chloe Crawford is second in scoring at 9.2 points per game and is a team-best 32 of 104 from distance (.308).  Crawford is 63 of 207 from the field (.304).  
 
As a team, the Lady Bucs are shooting .334 from the field on 369 of 1106 from the floor, while they are 71 of 256 from beyond the arc (.277) and 253 of 366 from the line (.691).  CBU averages 53.1 points per game and allows 72.9 per contest, while the Lady Bucs average 32.8 rebounds per game and allow 41.3. 
 
VSU leads the all-time series with CBU 14-7 and has won the last six-straight in the series.  VSU has won nine of 11 games in Memphis., including the last four-straight, while Thursday marks just the second time since 2018, CBU has visited The Complex.  VSU is 4-4 all-time against the Lady Bucs in Valdosta and has won the last three at home.  The teams have split two neutral site matchups.  Head coach Deandra Schirmer is 5-0 against CBU.  
 
The Lady Blazers won 73-65 in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 15, 2023, in the first meeting this season behind a game-high 20 points from Ford leading three players in double figures.  She finished 7 of 15 from the field, 2 of 2 from beyond the arc and 4 of 4 from the line, while senior Lili Long scored 12 points and Curry added 12 points off the bench.  VSU iced the game at the line in the fourth quarter, going 11 of 16 from the stripe for the frame and forced CBU into 19 turnovers, leading 27-11 in points off miscues.  The game saw three ties and six lead changes.  Crawford had 17 points for CBU leading four players in double figures.   
 
Schirmer is 103-30 in her fifth season at the helm of the Lady Blazers and 79-19 in GSC play.  She became the third fastest head coach in VSU women's basketball history to win 100 games in a thrilling 80-50 victory on Jan. 20 versus Lee, in just 130 games total.  
 
The Lady Blazers enter the week 19-2 overall and 16-1 in GSC play as they are going for their 20^th victory of the season, which would mark the third-straight season of 20 or more wins under Schirmer.  One more win would mark the 20^th season of 20 or more wins since 1975.  VSU has not won 20 or more games in three-straight seasons since winning 20 games in four-straight seasons since 2006-2010. 
 
Nationally speaking, the Lady Blazers moved to a tie for tenth in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25, while they are eighth in the D2CSC Top 25 as voted on by select college sports communicators.  Union is third in the WBCA Top 25 and fourth in D2CSC.  Along with Union and VSU in the WBCA Poll, Tampa is 13^th this week and Miles is 22^nd among teams from the South Region.  Nova Southeastern is among others receiving votes.  As for the D2CSC Poll, Nova Southeastern is 15^th and Tampa is 20^th, while Embry-Riddle is among others receiving votes.  
 
In the D2CSC South Region Top Ten poll, Union leads the way followed by the Lady Blazers at No. 2.  Nova Southeastern is third, followed by Tampa, Embry-Riddle, Miles, Lee, Auburn Montgomery, Lynn and Eckerd.  Kentucky State and Savannah State are among others receiving votes in the region poll.
 
This season, VSU is third nationally in field goal percentage at a .474 clip to lead the GSC, while the team is second in the league in field goal percentage defense holding teams to a .369 average from the field.  The Lady Blazers are tenth nationally in scoring defense allowing just 54.4 points per game, while they are 11^thnationally and second in the GSC in scoring margin at 17.4 points per game.  VSU leads the GSC in 3-oint field goal percentage at a .366 clip for ninth nationally.  Individually, senior Emma Martin is ninth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a .444 clip on 44 of 99 from distance, while Curry leads the GSC in free throw percentage at an .875 clip on 77 of 88 from the line for 22^nd nationally.  Ford is 35^th nationally and second in the GSC in field goal percentage at a .537 clip.  
 
Saturday's matchup is a battle of two of the heavyweights in the GSC and regionally.  VSU won the previous meeting in Jackson, Tenn., on Dec. 17, 2023, behind a then-career-high 24 points from Ford leading four Lady Blazers in double figures.  VSU shot .545 from the field on 30 of 55 from the field in the game, while going 17 of 21 from the line.  The Lady Blazers trailed 30-28 at halftime, but outscored the Lady Bulldogs 45-38 in the second half for the 83-68 victory.  Union pulled within five at 60-55 with 8:28 to play, but VSU finished on a 23-13 run for the victory.  Union had four players in double figures led by 12 points from Courtney Zensen.  Three other players had ten points each.  VSU held Union to just 32.8 percent shooting for the game.  
 
The Lady Bulldogs have won 16 of the last 22 meetings in the series, but VSU has won three of the last five.  Union has visited The Complex just once since Nov. 29, 2018, as VSU won 60-54 on Dec. 11, 2022. During that span, the teams have played eight other times with six in Jackson, one in Tampa and one in Birmingham.  
 
Check back on Friday for an updated preview on Saturday's pivotal matchup.