VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team battled back from down by as many as 14 midway through the third quarter, to pull within one in the final minute, but was unable to get the lead falling 72-67 to The University of Alabama in Huntsville Saturday Afternoon in Gulf South Conference play.
 
VSU (3-4, 1-1 GSC) finished with four players in double figures led by 13 points from junior Erin Whalen, sophomore Ka'Miah Pryor and sophomore Alina Martin, while senior Aryana Hicks added 12 points and five assists.  The Lady Blazers shot 39.7 percent from the field on 23 of 58 from the floor, while they were 6 of 13 from distance and 15 of 20 from the line.  
 
UAH won its third-straight game against VSU improved to 6-3 overall and 2-0 in GSC play as Lili Wiken had 24 points leading three Chargers in double figures.  She was 9 of 24 from the field and 6 of 8 from the line with seven rebounds.  Bella White added 11 points and Ava McSwain chipped in ten.  The Chargers shot 42.4 percent from the field, while they were 5 of 20 from distance and 17 of 21 from the line.  UAH never trailed in the game and the teams combined for just 19 turnovers as VSU held a 15-4 advantage in points off miscues.  
 
Martin scored for the first points of the fourth quarter, pulling VSU within 57-48 with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation.  Whalen drained a triple for a 59-51 deficit with six minutes to play.  Whalen hit her second trey of the quarter for a 61-54 deficit, but UAH answered with a bucket at the other end pushing the lead back to nine and a timeout.  
 
Whalen continued with the hot hand and dialed the bank for a top of the arc 3-pointer pulling VSU within four at 63-59, but Ivey Maddox answered with a trey at the other end.  Hicks was hacked driving the lane and made two tosses for a 66-61 deficit and 2:35 to play.  VSU got a five-second call on UAH on the ensuing possession and Hicks scored inside pulling the Lady Blazers within three at 66-63 with 1:45 to play.  Wilken scored inside for the Chargers pushing the lead back to five.  A turnover on the Chargers gave VSU the possession with 1:04 to play.  Out of the timeout, Pryor scored pulling VSU to within three, once again.  Wilken's shot was partially blocked at the other end and on the VSU rebound, Martin was fouled and made both free throws for a 68-67 deficit with 34.6 seconds remaining. 
 
The Lady Blazers defended well for all but four seconds of the shot clock as Wilken earned the "and one" with 8.4 seconds remaining pushing the lead to four at 71-67.  Out of a timeout to advance the ball, Whalen had a good look at the triple, but it was just off as Wilken was fouled making one free throw for a 72-67 final score.
 
Both teams struggled offensively in the early going as UAH held a 2-0 lead through the first 3:25 of the game.  Wilken hit one of two free throws for a 3-0 lead on the first foul of the contest as VSU began the game 0 of 5 from the field, while UAH was just 1 of 6.   Pryor hit one of two free throws getting VSU on the board at 3-1 with 5:38 left in the opening frame.  Sophomore Raeanne Eccleston hit two free throws for a 3-3 score, but White scored and earned the free throw for a 6-3 UAH lead with 4:28 left in the first quarter.  
 
Wilken scored inside for an 8-3 lead as VSU was still searching for its first made field goal of the game.  Eccleston scored inside on a nice pass from senior Aryana Hicks for the first made field goal of the game, pulling VSU within 8-5 with 3:04 remaining in the frame.  A jumper from Paris Opelt and a triple from Mia Hollingsworth pushed UAH's lead to 13-5 with 2:03 left in the opening frame and a timeout by VSU.  Hollingsworth hit her second triple of the frame for an 18-10 lead for the Chargers through the first ten minutes.  VSU was just 2 of 15 from the field for the opening quarter, while UAH was 7 of 18.  The Lady Blazers were 4 of 8 from the line, while UAH was 2 of 3 and had the two triples from Hollingsworth.  
 
A 3-pointer from Martin pulled VSU within 20-13 with 9:13 remaining in the half.  Freshman Chardae Rumph buried a triple for a 21-16 deficit, but McSwain answered at the other end for a 24-16 score.  Rumph pulled VSU with 26-20 and Martin later pulled the team within 28-22 with 5:16 to play in the half.  Sophomore Amaya Broadus scored inside pulling the Lady Blazers within 28-24 with 4:17 left in the half.  With the shot clock winding down, Rumph hit a fade away pulling VSU within 28-26.  UAH quickly pushed the lead back to six with back-to-back scores with less than three minutes remaining in the half.  UAH held a 38-30 lead at intermission. 
 
For the half, VSU shot 12 of 31 from the field for 36.7 percent, while it was 2 of 7 from deep and 4 of 8 from the line.  UAH shot 15 of 33 from the floor, while it was 3 of 11 from distance and 5 of 8 from the line.  Martin had a team-high nine points for VSU, while Opelt had eight for the Chargers.  
 
An "and one" for Pryor pulled VSU within 50-43 with 3:18 left in the third quarter and a 5-0 mini-run by the Lady Blazers.  UAH quickly pushed the lead back to nine at 54-43 with a pair of buckets from McSwain.  UAH held a 57-46 lead through three quarters.  Both teams opened the second half making five field goals and each had one triple, while UAH was 8 of 8 from the line in the third period and VSU was 5 of 6. 
 
The Lady Blazers hit the road for three games prior to the Christmas Break, beginning next Saturday at 3 p.m. ET at West Florida, before heading to the Volunteer State for two games at Trevecca Nazarene (Dec. 18) and Lee (Dec. 20).  The Lady Blazers will host University of Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 29, at 1 p.m. at The Complex, before opening the 2026 portion of the schedule at home versus Mississippi College on Jan. 2 at 6 p.m.
 
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