VALDOSTA, Ga. – Following two quality opening weekend victories, the Valdosta State women's basketball team hosts Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at The Complex.
The game will be broadcast on TALK 92.1 WDDQ FM with Mike Chason having the call and the game will be broadcast online at www.talk921.com. In addition, each game will be streamed this season on FloCollege with Spencer Van Horn having the call for the videostream. For subscription prices and how to sign-up for FloCollege, click here.
VSU enters the game with a 2-0 record following a 66-58 win over Eckerd College and a 62-59 win over Palm Beach Atlantic as junior Erin Whalen hit a 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds remaining for the game winner, breaking a 59-59 tie. Whalen paced the team averaging 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds with a pair of double-doubles for the weekend. She went 12 of 26 from the field (.462), 4 of 7 from deep and 6 of 8 from the line. Whalen pulled down 20 rebounds in the two games with six on the offensive end, while registering seven assists, one block and five steals.
Senior Aryana Hicks averaged 12.5 points per game on 9 of 19 from the field (.474) and a perfect 7 of 7 from the line, while she had 13 assists, six steals and one block. Freshman Kendall Dykstra had an impressive opening weekend of her collegiate career, averaging 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Dykstra was 6 of 6 at the line for the weekend, while scoring 13 points.
As a team, the Lady Blazers are shooting at a .387 clip on 48 of 124 from the field, while they are 9 of 35 from distance (.257) and 23 of 27 from the line for an .852 clip. VSU is averaging 64 points per game and pulling down 36.5 rebounds per contest, while averaging 12.5 assists per game, 8.0 steals per game and forcing the opposition into 20.0 turnovers per game. VSU is averaging 15.5 turnovers per contest. Defensively, the team is holding the opponents to 58.5 points per game and .407 shooting from the field on 44 of 108. The opposition is 21 of 31 from the line, while averaging 35.5 rebounds per game.
Lady Blazer head coach Chandler Merkerson is 19-12 in her second season at the helm of the program. She went 17-12 overall last season and 12-10 in GSC play a season ago. Merkerson's squad was picked fifth in the Preseason Gulf South Conference Coaches Poll, which was announced last month. Defending league champion Union was tabbed as the league favorite, followed by Lee, The University of Alabama at Huntsville, West Florida and VSU rounding out the top five. Whalen was named to the preseason all-conference team following second team all-conference honors last season.
The Cumming, Ga., native played in all 29 games with 27 starts averaging 10.7 points and went 132 of 321 from the field (.411), while draining 28 triples in 93 attempts for a .301 clip. Whalen finished with 251 rebounds and a league-best 8.7 average on the glass, while she had 54 assists and a team-high 58 steals for the season on 30.7 minutes per game. She had 18 games in double figures and 11 games with double-digit rebounds, along with 13 double-doubles. She earned GSC Academic Honor Roll accolades for the second-straight season.
Georgia Southwestern enters with an 0-2 record after a pair of close losses in Beaufort, S.C., last weekend, losing 68-64 to University of Virginia-Wise and 60-57 to Ferrum College (Va.). In those two games, Ray'ven Robinson averaged 15.5 points per game on 12 of 24 from the field, while she was 6 of 10 from the line and drained one triple. Makenzie Kelly averaged 10.0 points for the weekend, while Hannah Simmons averaged a team-high 8.0 rebounds. The Hurricanes shot .344 from the field for the week, while averaging 60.5 points per game and allowing 64.0 per contest. GSW held a 43.5 to 38.5 advantage in rebounding.
The 'Canes are under the direction of second year head coach Missy Tiber. GSW reached the Peach Belt Conference Championship game as the No. 7-seed a season ago, finishing 14-15 overall and 8-10 in PBC play. This year, GSW was picked sixth in the PBC preseason coaches' poll. Junior Shane' Jackson is the lone returner for the Lady Hurricanes this season as she played in all 28 games, averaging 5.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game and shot 51.8 percent from the field.
VSU leads the all-time series 9-3 and have won the last five meetings, including a 90-79 victory in Americus last season in overtime. In that game, GSW hit two free throws at the buzzer to force overtime, but the Lady Blazers scored 15 the 19 points scored in overtime for the 11-point win. During the five-game winning streak, two have gone to overtime with VSU winning 82-69 on Nov. 29, 2019, in Valdosta. The Lady Blazers are 6-1 all-time in Valdosta against GSW with the lone loss being on Nov. 15, 2011, in a 67-60 setback.
Following the game, the Lady Blazers will have a six-day break before making their first road trip of the season on Nov. 25 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., with the tip set for 5:30 p.m. VSU's next home game will be on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. at The Complex versus Embry-Riddle.
