VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a big overtime victory at West Florida on Saturday, the Valdosta State women's basketball team travels to Lee on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and then at Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. 

Fans can access links to live stats and audio/video streaming of the games at vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page.  The games also will be broadcast on the radio this weekend and Thursday's game will be on 94.3 FM WJEM and www.foxsportsvaldosta.com and Saturday's broadcast on TALK 92.1 WDDQ FM and www.talk921.com with Jaylan Scott having the call both days.
 
VSU dug deep and came away with a 75-69, overtime victory at West Florida on Saturday marking the fifth overtime game of the season for the Lady Blazers (3-2).  In that game, VSU outscored UWF 14-8 in the extra-session after the Argos roared back in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of 23 total points for the frame forcing overtime.  Sophomore Erin Whalen tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds in the game leading four starters in double figures.  VSU trailed 33-30 at halftime and used a huge 24-12 third quarter, highlighted by a 15-4 run in the frame for a 54-45 lead through 30 minutes of play.  
 
In the overtime, UWF scored the first four points but the Lady Blazers kept their composure as junior Aryana Hicks and senior Kiersten Nelson scored for a 67-65 VSU lead with 2:05 to play.  Whalen used a steal dish to junior Mary McMorris for a fast break bucket for a 71-67 lead with 37 seconds left.  VSU salted the game away at the line in the final minute for the victory. VSU outscored UWF 8-2 since the 1:56 mark of overtime for the win.
 
With the win, the Lady Blazers improved to 12-8 overall and 7-7 in Gulf South Conference play and currently are sixth in the league standings.  Union leads the league with a 13-1 record in conference play, while Alabama Huntsville is second at 12-3 in GSC play, followed by Lee (11-4 GSC / 17-4 overall), West Florida (10-4), Mississippi College (8-7) and VSU.  Delta State, Auburn Montgomery and Montevallo each are 7-8 in league play, while Trevecca Nazarene is 3-12 in conference play and 6-15 overall.
 
The top eight teams qualify for the GSC postseason championship, beginning with Super Tuesday at campus sites on Tuesday, Mar. 4, with the winners advancing to Birmingham, Ala., for the semifinals and championship on Mar. 8-9.  
 
Lee enters winners of its last three games and eight of nine (at AUM, L, 68-52, Jan. 23) dating back to the 58-50 loss at VSU on Dec. 21.  The Lady Flames were tested at West Alabama on Saturday, pulling out a 65-56 victory and won by five last Thursday at Alabama Huntsville, 67-62, handing UAH its first home loss of the season.  Lee outscored UWA 25-17 in the fourth quarter for the victory.
 
This season, the Lady Flames are led by Mallory Hampton, who leads the team averaging 17.8 points per game. Hampton has been sidelined since Jan. 18 with an injury, but Haylee Johnson has stepped up in her place as she is averaging 11.3 points per game in 21 starts.  Johnson is 88 of 208 from the field (.423), while she is 14 of 55 from distance and 48 of 70 from the line.  Johnson leads the team with 111 assists and is second on the team in steals with 31.  Mia Hurst is third in scoring at 8.5 points per game, while leading the team from distance at 40 of 107 from beyond the arc (.374).  Anna Mahonen is fourth in scoring at 8.4 points per game and is 76 of 129 from the field (.589) and leads the team averaging 4.2 rebounds per game.
 
Head coach Marty Rowe is 527-144 at Lee in 21 seasons, while he is 658-209 all-time in 27 seasons of coaching.  VSU leads the all-time series with Lee, 16-15 including the 58-50 victory earlier this season as the Lady Blazers have won the last three meetings in the series.  VSU is 3-8 in Cleveland, Tenn., and is looking for its first win there since Jan. 16, 2021, in a 63-57 victory. 
 
In the meeting in December, the Lady Blazers won 58-53 over Lee who was then ranked No. 23.  Hicks paced the team with a team-high 14 points with eight rebounds and four assists.  VSU played lockdown defense and kept Hampton and the potent Lee attack in check as Hampton finished with just four points and seven rebounds, while going 1 of 8 from the field.  Johnson ended with eight points, while Bailey Burgess scored a team-high 12 points.  
 
Trevecca Nazarene enters the week with five-straight losses dating back to a 64-60 overtime win at Christian Brothers on Jan. 16.  The Trojans gave a valiant effort at UAH on Saturday, falling 75-69 and lost at West Alabama 57-43 last Thursday.  Against UAH, TNU opened the game with a 21-12 first quarter, before UAH caught fire and outscored the Trojans 28-14 in the second quarter for a 40-35 lead at the break.  TNU used a 19-12 third quarter and used a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter, but UAH finished the game on a 23-8 run for the win, including a 14-0 over a span of 4:48 minutes of the final 5:01 of the game.  TNU's Amaya Thomas had a team-high 21 points on 8 of 11 from the field, 4 of 5 from distance and one free throw, along with seven rebounds.  
 
Head coach Karen Booker is in her third season at the helm of the Trojans and is 47-37 at TNU, while she is in her seventh season as a coach with a 73-113 record overall.  Thomas leads the way this season averaging 10.8 points per game on 88 of 194 from the field (.444).  She has 18 triples and is 33 of 47 from the line (.702).  Thomas is second on the team in rebounding at 5.5 per contest, while Cheyenne Trotter leads the team averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and she is third in scoring at 8.9 points per game.  Trotter is 40 of 71 from the line leading the team in makes and attempts.  Tatum Shaw is second in scoring at 10.5 points per game and leads the team from distance, going 49 of 145 from distance (.338).  
 
VSU posted a 64-50 victory in Valdosta on Dec. 19, marking the first meeting all-time in the series.  Whalen finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Nelson chipped in 12 points.  Tatum had a team-high 13 points for the Trojans.  VSU forced 24 turnovers by TNU for a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers.  VSU went to the line just seven times in the game.
 
This season, the Lady Blazers are led by Nelson who is 115 of 199 from the field (.578), while she is 47 of 77 from the line (.610) to lead the team in free throws made and attempted.  Nelson is second on the team in rebounding at 6.0 per contest.  Hicks is second in scoring at 11.9 points per game on 98 of 187 from the field (.524) and 35 of 50 from the line.  She has 97 assists to lead the team with 35 steals.  Whalen is third in scoring at 10.7 points per game on 91 of 218 from the field (.417).  She is 18 of 58 from distance (.310) and has a team-high 39 steals.  McMorris is fourth in scoring at 9.3 points per game, while senior Jillian Schenk leads the team from distance at 29 of 83 (.349).  
 
Following the two games this week, VSU returns home to host Delta State on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. and Mississippi College on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. at The Complex.  The February 13^th matchup will be the Lady Blazers' Annual Pink Game.