VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season with a thrilling 66-58 victory Friday evening over Eckerd College at The Complex. The Lady Blazers were led by junior Erin Whalen with a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds, while senior Aryana Hicks added 14 points and sophomore newcomer Raeanne Eccleston added 10 points in her Lady Blazer debut.
VSU never trailed in the game and snapped a four-game skid against Tritons as it improved to 8-6 all-time against Eckerd. The Lady Blazers shot 38.5 percent for the game on 25 of 65 from the field while they were 3 of 17 from distance and 13 of 17 from the line. The Lady Blazers had 38 rebounds and forced Eckerd into 22 turnovers for a 19-5 advantage in points off turnovers with 13 miscues by VSU.
Whalen finished 6 of 14 from the field with one triple and was 4 of 6 from the line, while she registered her tenth career double-double. She finished with four assists and four steals along with one huge block late in the contest. Hicks went 5 of 12 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line, while she had eight rebounds, five assists, one block and three steals. Eccleston was 5 of 15 from the field with three rebounds and one steal.
Eckerd shot 38.2 percent as the team was 21 of 55 from the field, while it was 5 of 26 from distance and 11 of 18 from the line. EC had 40 rebounds for the game and was led by a game-high 18 points from Jaylen Ostenson on 6 of 18 from the field, 4 of 13 from deep and 2 of 3 from the line, while she had 11 rebounds. Emma Egan finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Whalen scored the first seven points of the game for the Lady Blazers, while Eckerd started 1 of 9 from the field for a 7-2 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter. VSU pushed the lead to 9-2 on a bucket from sophomore Amaya Broadus, but Eckerd used an old fashion three-point play for a 9-5 score with 4:44 to play in the opening frame. Both teams struggled through the first five minutes as VSU was 3 of 10 from the field, while Eckerd was 2 of 12 and 0 of 6 from deep.
Lady Blazer freshman newcomer Chardae Rumpf hit a triple and then made one charity toss for a 13-5 lead with 2:52 remaining in the opening quarter. Following another miss from the Tritons, senior Aryana Hicks scored in transition for a 15-5 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the frame.
Five quick points from the Tritons on one field goal – just the third made field goal of the quarter and three free throws trimmed the Lady Blazer advantage to 15-10 late in the quarter. Hicks found Eccleston inside for two and a 17-10 lead. VSU held a 17-12 lead at the end of the quarter as VSU opened 6 of 15 from the field and 2 of 5 from deep, while Eckerd was 4 of 19 from the field, 0 of 8 from range and stayed close on 4 of 5 from the line.
Whalen scored inside pushing the lead to nine at 25-16 early in the second quarter as VSU opened 4 of 6 from the field for the second frame and it marked Whalen's ninth point of the contest. Eckerd hit its first triple of the game following a block at the other end, pulling within 25-19 with just over six minutes remaining in the half. The Tritons had been 0 of 10 from distance prior. Hicks scored inside forcing Eckerd into a timeout for a 29-19 score with 5:08 remaining in the half.
Eckerd trimmed the lead back to seven and then to four with another triple for a 31-27 score with 2:30 remaining in the half. VSU had not scored since freshman Rebecca Souverain's jumper with 4:40 left and a 31-21 lead at that point. A bucket from sophomore Ka'Miah Prior ended the drought for a 33-27 lead with 50 seconds remaining. EC scored at the other end and then forced a shot clock violation as the clock expired in the first half with VSU leading 33-29.
For the half, VSU shot 14 of 32 from the field for 43.8 percent, while it was 2 of 7 from deep and 3 of 5 from the line. Whalen had a team-high nine points. Eckerd went 10 of 32 from the field for 31.3 percent, while it was 2 of 15 from deep and was 7 of 9 from the line. Both teams had 21 rebounds for the half. VSU held a 9-2 lead in points off turnovers as the Blazers had nine miscues and Eckerd had eight.
Ostenson buried a triple pulling the Tritons within 37-36 with 6:58 to play in the third, but Whalen pulled down her sixth rebound and freshman Kendall Dykstra hit a triple for a 40-36 lead at the other end. Out of a timeout, Dykstra scored inside pushing the lead back to six at 42-36 with 5:30 remaining in the quarter. Four quick points by the Lady Blazers pushed the lead back to six as Eckerd had trimmed the deficit to two late in the third for a 52-46 lead through three quarters.
Hicks scored the first points of the fourth quarter for a 54-46 lead and her 12th point of the game. A nice offensive rebound from sophomore Alina Martin and a bucket from Broadus, followed by a steal and layup from Whalen pushed the lead to 58-48 with 7:58 to play as the Lady Blazers scored six of the first eight points of the final quarter.
Ostenson buried another triple for Eckerd pulling the Tritons within 58-51 with 6:28 to play. Eckerd pulled within five on a bucket from Ieva Korzane for a 58-53 VSU lead with 4:11 to play. VSU had not scored in five minutes since Whalen's bucket with eight minutes to play. Ostenson hit her fourth trey of the game cutting the deficit to 58-56 with 2:35 to play. Dykstra made two free throws ending a 5:32 scoring drought a 60-56 score. VSU forced a 10-second call on the defensive end with 2:18 to play.
Eagan scored trimming the VSU lead to 60-58 with 1:12 remaining. A big offensive rebound and putback from Broadus gave VSU its first field goal since the eight-minute mark. Following a great block from Whalen, Hicks was fouled and hit two free throws for a 64-58 lead with 34 seconds remaining. Martin had a block and Whalen was fouled making two free throws for a 66-58 lead with 17 seconds remaining.
The Lady Blazers continue at home on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. as they face Palm Beach Atlantic (0-1) who lost in the first game Friday afternoon to West Florida, 60-50. UWF battles Eckerd at 12 p.m. Saturday.
