MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In a makeup game from last Thursday, turnovers and cold shooting proved costly in a 53-48 loss at Christan Brothers for the Valdosta State women's basketball team Monday afternoon. The game was moved to Monday due to snow and ice in the Memphis area late last week.
The Lady Blazers (15-11, 10-10 GSC) battled back from a 24-8 first quarter hole and had a 41-38 lead with 8:57 to play, but eight turnovers in the final frame and three in the final minute were costly. Senior
Kiersten Nelson was the only Lady Blazer in double figures with 16 points on 6 of 9 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line with seven rebounds, while sophomore
Erin Whalen had 13 rebounds and six points with two triples. Junior
Mary McMorris added seven points.
VSU shot 19 of 51 from the field for 37.3 percent, while it was 4 of 20 from distance and 6 of 7 from the line. VSU committed 24 turnovers in the game and CBU had 17 as the Lady Bucs held a 19-13 lead in points off miscues.
Christian Brothers had three players in double figures led by 13 points from SeQuoia Carroll and 13 from Jada Hood, while Valencia McFall added 12 points. CBU shot 36.7 percent from the field on 18 of 49, while it was 7 of 19 from distance and 10 of 18 from the line.
The Lady Blazers return home to close out the regular season with a 6 p.m. tip Thursday at The Complex versus Auburn Montgomery and then on Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Montevallo for Senior Day.
VSU scored the first bucket of the game and then CBU rattled off the next nine points for a 9-2 lead with 5:46 to play in the first quarter. VSU began the game 1 of 6 from the field, while the Lady Bucs were 4 of 6. McMorris ended the drought with a layup with 4:49 left in the quarter and a 9-4 deficit. A bucket and a triple McFall, giving her eight early points, pushed the CBU lead to 14-4 with 4:19 to play in the quarter. Another triple and two free throws swelled the lead to 19-6 late in the frame.
CBU led 24-8 through the first ten minutes as the Lady Bucs shot 9 of 13 from the field, 4 of 4 from deep and 2 of 2 from the line, while VSU was 4 of 15 from the field and 0 of 4 from distance. After VSU pulled within eight at 14-6 with 2:50 to play in the quarter, CBU scored 10 of the final 12 points of the frame.
Fouls started to mount for both teams early in the second quarter as multiple players had two fouls, including three on CBU's Nyapar Mathot, but VSU was unable to trim the deficit as VSU turned the ball over nine times in the first 13 game minutes. Nelson hit two free throws for a 24-12 deficit with 7:01 to play in the half.
Both teams struggled in the second quarter as VSU was 1 of 5 from the field, while CBU was 0 of 4 through the first 4:02 of the frame. Nelson continued to work inside and hit the first VSU field goal since the opening possession of the second quarter for a 27-14 deficit and 5:49 to go in the half. Nelson buried two more free throws for eight points and then McMorris scored inside cutting the deficit under double-digits at 27-18 with 4:04 to play in the half.
VSU extended a 6-0 run to a 9-0 run with the first triple of the game as sophomore
Erin Whalen hit one from downtown, pulling VSU within 27-21 with 1:43 to play in the half. Freshman
Amaya Broadus scored off a CBU miscue for a 27-23 score with 1:09 to play and an 11-0 run for the final score of the half.
The Lady Blazers shot 9 of 29 from the field for the first half, while going 1 of 11 from beyond the arc and 4 of 4 from the line. CBU cooled off to 9 of 24 from the field, 4 of 10 from distance and 5 of 8 from the line. The Lady Bucs were 0 of 11 from the field and 0 of 6 from deep in the second quarter as VSU outscored CBU 15-3 for the frame.
For the half, Nelson was 2 of 4 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line with three rebounds, while Whalen had nine rebounds and three points. McMorris had four points. CBU had eight points each from McFall and Hood – all in the first quarter. The three points were the fewest VSU has allowed in a quarter this season and CBU did not hit a field goal in the final 10:54 of the half.
Nelson scored the opening bucket of the third quarter pulling VSU within 27-25 and extending the run to 13-0. Hood buried a triple her third of the game ending an over 12-minute field goal drought giving CBU a 30-25 lead with 7:53 to play in the quarter. A steal and score from Carroll pushed the CBU lead to seven at 32-27. Nelson continued to score inside for her 12
th point, pulling the Lady Blazers within 32-30 for the second time VSU had closed within a bucket.
Senior
Jillian Schenk drained one from downtown for a 34-33 deficit with 5:26 left in the third. A turnover on CBU and bucket from senior
Kenya Edelhart gave VSU its first lead since 2-0 at 35-34 with five minutes and change left in the frame. CBU answered out of a timeout with a triple from Chloe Crawford for a 37-35 Lady Buc lead and the third lead change of the game. VSU didn't score for the final 5:30 of the quarter and Mathot made just one free throw during the final 4:23 as CBU held a 38-35 lead through three quarters.
Lady Blazer senior
Jacey Justice knocked down a triple to open the fourth quarter tying the game at 38 and Nelson scored her 14
th point in the paint following a turnover for a 40-38 VSU lead with 9:28 to play. The Lady Blazers hit a bucket on their opening possession of each quarter in the game. Justice hit one of two free throws out of a timeout for a 41-38 lead and the largest of the game to that point with 8:57 to play. Carroll tied the game at 41 with a triple with eight minutes to go.
Edelhart tied the game at 43 with 5:56 to play for the third tie of the game, ending a mini 5-0 run by the Lady Bucs. Carroll then scored off a steal for a 45-43 CBU lead with four minutes to play and the fifth lead change of the game. Following another turnover by the Lady Blazers, the 21
st of the game, Carroll hit two free throws for a 47-43 lead, but Whalen drained a triple at the other end pulling VSU within one at 47-46 with 3:15 to play.
Nelson scored on a layup for a 49-48 deficit, but McFall hit a jumper at the other end pushing the lead to three at 51-48 with 2:07 to go. A missed layup with 23 seconds left by CBU and a rebound from Nelson gave VSU one last chance to tie the game and 20 seconds to play. Schenk missed a triple with 15 seconds remaining as Christian Brothers got the rebound with seven seconds to play.
VSU had to foul as Lamonnie Owens missed both free throws with five seconds remaining. The Lady Blazers immediately called a timeout to advance the ball with four seconds left but turned the ball over with one second left as CBU made both free throws from Carroll for a 53-48 final score.
