CLEVELAND, Miss. – Kiersten Nelson scored a layup at the buzzer in overtime lifting the Valdosta State women's basketball team to a 60-58 victory at Delta State Saturday afternoon.  Nelson finished the game with a game-high 17 points on 7 of 15 from the field and 3 of 6 from the line leading four players in double figures.
 
VSU broke a 56-56 score with 28 seconds left in the extra-session thanks to a bucket from junior Aryana Hicks off a great block and rebound from sophomore Erin Whalen.  DSU's Dakiya Toney scored with two seconds left to tie the game.  Following a timeout by VSU to advance the ball, Nelson received the ball with 2.7 seconds remaining just to the right of the paint and took one dribble and layup for the winner.  Whalen finished with her fifth double-double of the season on ten points and ten rebounds. 
 
The win improved VSU to 9-4 overall and 4-3 in Gulf South Conference play as it was the second-straight overtime game for the Lady Blazers this season and third overall.  VSU trailed by three twice in the extra-session on Saturday, but Nelson provided the spark needed for the win with a nice layup and two free throws giving VSU its first lead of the overtime period at 54-53 with 3:06 to play.  Lady Blazer junior Mary McMorris pushed the lead to three for a 6-0 VSU run at 56-53, but the Lady Statesmen quickly tied the game with the "and one" from Wakiryah Daniels with 1:48 to play prior to the final minute heroics.  Nelson scored six of VSU's 12 points in the overtime period.
 
For the game, VSU shot 39.3 percent from the field on 24 of 61, while it was 4 of 14 from distance and 8 of 12 from the line.  McMorris had 16 points on 6 of 14 from the field, 2 of 3 from deep and 2 of 2 from the line, along with three rebounds and a team-high three steals.  Hicks added 11 points.  VSU turned the ball over just nine times and forced DSU into 12 turnovers for a 14-7 advantage in points off miscues.  Both teams finished with 35 rebounds.
 
The Lady Statesmen fell to 8-7 on the year and 4-4 in league play and were led by 16 points from Makenzie Hill, while Grace Watson had a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds. Toney added 11 points off the bench. DSU shot 35.6 percent from the field on 21 of 59 from the field, while it was 5 of 19 from beyond the arc and 11 of 15 from the line in a game that saw 11 ties and six lead changes. 
 
VSU took a 35-32 lead into the fourth quarter as the teams combined for just 14 points total in the third quarter, while DSU held a 27-26 lead at intermission.  Watson tied the game at 36 with 8:24 left in the fourth, but Nelson scored inside following a hard working rebound from Whalen on the ensuing possession.  A steal and score from senior Kenya Edelhart put VSU up four with 6:15 remaining in regulation, before DSU rallied to tie the game twice more, including a 44-44 score with one minute remaining in the frame.  Hicks had a huge bucket with 37 seconds left for a 46-44 score, but a foul on VSU with eight seconds remaining sent Hill to the line and she only made one free throw. 

With DSU having to foul immediately, Hicks made two free throws for VSU with five ticks left for a 48-45 score. Hill redeemed herself with a tying triple with four seconds to play, forcing overtime, marking the second straight-game the opposition forced overtime in the final seconds as Mississippi College did that and won on Thursday and outscored VSU 15-7 in the extra-frame.  VSU wouldn't be denied Saturday, however.
 
The Lady Blazers return home to host Union on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m. in a huge GSC match up at The Complex and then on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m., versus Christian Brothers.