VALDOSTA, Ga. - Behind four starters in double figures, the Valdosta State women's basketball team returned home to defeat visiting Delta State Thursday evening for its annual Pink Game, 69-64.
The Lady Blazers improved to 14-9 overall and 9-8 in Gulf South Conference play, while Delta State fell to 12-13 overall and 8-10 in league play as the Lady Blazers swept the season series with DSU by a combined seven points. VSU continues at home on Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Mississippi College at The Complex.
VSU sophomore
Erin Whalen hit a big trey for a 59-52 score 3:35 to play. Whalen scored inside for her 13
thpoint, pushing the lead to nine at 61-52 following a miss by the Lady Statesmen, but DSU answered with a triple from Madi Kate Vuncannon at the other end and a 61-55 score. Following a free throw from VSU, Vuncannon drained her third long one of the quarter, pulling DSU within four, but Whalen scored inside at the other end for a 64-58 lead with 1:15 to play.
DSU then pulled within four with 1:08 to play on two free throws from MaKenzie Hill and the Lady Statemen had just two fouls for the quarter and began fouling to get VSU into free throws. Junior
Aryana Hicks was fouled with 55.9 seconds left for the fifth foul of the frame and made two free throws for a 66-60 score. DSU's Grace Watson scored inside for her 16
th point as VSU called time to advance the ball leading 66-62 with 37.6 seconds remaining. After two charity misses by VSU, Watson missed a jumper in the paint off her 11
th offensive rebound and a jump ball was called giving VSU the possession with 22.7 seconds left giving Hicks the steal.
On the ensuing possession, Hicks hit one of two free throws for a 67-62 score, but Vuncannon hit a corner bucket for a 67-64 score and 14.8 seconds left. Nelson was fouled immediately and made both free throws for a 69-64 score. With one last gasp by DSU, Nelson came down with Vuncannon's missed triple and ran out the clock for the win.
VSU shot 48.3 percent for the game on 28 of 58 from the field, while it was 7 of 18 from distance, but was just 6 of 12 from the line. DSU shot 44.4 percent from the field on 24 of 54, while it was 5 of 16 from distance and 11 of 17 from the line. DSU held a 32-25 lead in rebounding, but VSU had just eight turnovers and forced DSU into 13 miscues leading to a 14-7 advantage in points off turnovers. Hicks paced the Lady Blazers with 16 points of 6 of 7 from the field, 1 of 1 from beyond the arc and 3 of 4 from the line, while registering six assists and two steals. Whalen finished 7 of 12 from the field with one triple, while senior
India Jordan knocked down four triples on 5 of 8 from the field for 14 points and Nelson finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Watson had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Statesmen.
A steal from senior
India Jordan and a fastbreak layup from Hicks gave VSU a 7-4 lead with 7:03 to play in the first quarter as both teams traded bucket early on. A triple from DSU's Wakiryah Daniels gave the Lady Statesmen an 11-9 lead with 5:34 remaining in the quarter. Out of a media timeout, Daniels made one of two free throws for a 12-9 lead as the Lady Statesmen opened the game 5 of 6 from the field, while VSU was 4 of 10. DSU increased its lead to 14-9 with a layup off a turnover from Dakiya Toney, but VSU pulled within three on a bucket inside from senior
Victoria Ikenasio and then Hicks buried a midrange jumper off a turnover for a 14-13 deficit and 3:05 left in the quarter.
Lady Blazer junior
Mary McMorris knotted the game at 16 with less than two minutes to play in the opening quarter. Hicks tied the game at 18 with a bucket in the paint as the quarter was under ten seconds for an 18-18 score through ten minutes. Hicks finished the first quarter with a team-high nine points. DSU began the game 7 of 11 from the field, while VSU was 8 of 17.
Nelson scored two buckets in the paint early in the second quarter for a 22-18 VSU lead with 7:29 remaining in the half. Jordan buried her second triple, this time from the corner pocket, for a 25-20 VSU lead with 6:03 left in the second and then Nelson scored inside following a miss by the Lady Statesmen for a 27-20 lead and a 9-2 run to start the second quarter and a timeout by DSU.
Jordan kept the hot hand with her third triple for a 30-20 lead out of the media timeout and DSU's Grace Watson ended the spurt with a bucket inside for a 30-22 lead with 5:04 to play in the half. DSU used two buckets from Toney trimming the deficit to 32-26 with 3:08 to play in the half. Freshman
Amaya Broadus scored in the paint, pushing the VSU lead to nine with one minute remaining in the half as VSU held a 36-27 lead at the break.
For the half, VSU shot 16 of 34 from the field for 47.1 percent, while it was 4 of 12 from distance and 0 of 2 from the line. DSU cooled off to 11 of 24 from the field (45.8), while it was 1 of 6 from beyond the arc and 4 of 6 from the line. Both teams had 15 rebounds, while VSU forced eight miscues by the Lady Statesmen leading to an 11-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Hicks paced the Lady Blazers with 11 points, while Nelson had ten in the first half. Toney led DSU with seven points.
Jordan drained her third triple of the game for a 47-33 lead with 4:29 left in the third quarter as VSU began the second half 5 of 7 from the field, while DSU was 3 of 9. Watson pulled down her eighth rebound of the game for DSU and was fouled, but made one of two free throws for a 47-34 VSU lead with 3:48 left in the third quarter. Jordan later drained her fourth trey and a 50-34 lead at the other end.
A hoop-and-harm foul for DSU pulled the Lady Statesmen within 50-49 with 2:28 to play in the quarter. DSU scored the next five points pulling within 50-44 with 49.8 seconds remaining in the third as it extended the run to 10-0 over the last three minutes. The Lady Statesmen scored at the buzzer in the third, pulling within 50-46 as VSU had not scored since Jordan's triple with 3:48 to play in the frame.
Jordan scored of a great long rebound from Justice for a 52-46 lead with 9:27 to play in regulation. Whalen found easy sledding inside for her eighth point of the game and a 54-47 lead with 8:02 to play. DSU's Madi Kate Vuncannon drained a triple in the corner, pulling DSU within 56-52 with 4:51 to play in the fourth.
