NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team posted a 49-40 victory at Trevecca Nazarene Saturday afternoon. Lady Blazer sophomore
Erin Whalen posted her seventh double-double of the season with ten points and 13 rebounds as VSU improved to 13-9 overall and 8-8 in Gulf South Conference play.
The 13 rebounds by Whalen tied her season-high set in the first game of the season against Palm Beach Atlantic. Senior
Jacey Justice also had ten points in the game at TNU. Whalen finished 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 6 from deep. Justice was 3 of 9 from the field, 2 of 7 from range and 2 of 4 from the line. Senior
Kiersten Nelson added nine points with six rebounds and three blocks.
VSU shot 18 of 58 from the field for 31 percent, while it was 7 of 30 from distance and 6 of 10 from the line. Trevecca Nazarene fell to 7-16 overall and 4-13 in league play. The Trojans were led by 13 points from Brianna Burgess on 3 of 6 from the field, 2 of 3 from deep and 5 of 6 from the line. Cheyenne Trotter had a team-high 10 rebounds. The Lady Blazer "D" held Trevecca to 12 of 46 from the field (.261), 3 of 15 from beyond the arc and 13 of 16 from the line.
The Lady Blazers scored nine of the first 11 points of the game and nine-straight capped with a triple from senior
Jacey Justice with 5:20 left in the first quarter for a 9-2 lead. TNU's Carden Vailes knocked down a long one pulling the Trojans within 9-6 with 3:08 remaining in the opening quarter, but the Lady Blazers used two big buckets from senior
India Jordan sparking a 7-1 run to end the quarter for a 16-7 lead.
Nelson began the second quarter with a bucket for an 18-7 lead, but two free throws from Burgess and a triple from her pulled TNU within 19-12 with 8:37 left in the half. Later, two more free throws from TNU's Amaya Thomas trimmed the Lady Blazer lead down to 19-14. Whalen hit a jumper with 1:15 left in the half for a 22-14 lead, marking just the second good field goal for VSU of the quarter and a drought of over seven minutes. VSU held a 22-16 lead at the break. Both teams hit just two field goals in the second quarter, while VSU was 2 of 4 from the line for the period and TNU was 4 of 4 with one triple.
For the half, VSU shot 9 of 27 from the field, 2 of 12 from distance and 2 of 4 from the line, while TNU was 4 of 26 from the field, 2 of 9 from range and 6 of 8 from the line. Jordan had seven points off the bench to pace VSU, while TNU had six points from Burgess and six from Thomas.
The Lady Blazers came out of the half with two early triples – one from Whalen and one from Justice for a 28-17 lead with 8:19 left in the quarter. Nelson knocked one down from range for a 31-17 lead, but Burgess answered at the other end for a 31-20 score with just over seven minutes remaining in the frame.
Whalen stretched the lead to 34-22 with a triple with 4:41 to play in the quarter, but a 6-0 run by the Trojans trimmed the lead to 34-28 with 1:53 to play in the third. Senior Vicktoria Ikenasio scored her first bucket of the game for a 36-28 lead and then hit a jumper with 24 seconds left for a 38-28 lead through 30 minutes. VSU hit four triples in the quarter and was 6 of 19 from the field for the frame, while TNU was 5 of 10 with one triple and one free throw.
Early in the fourth, the 3-pointers kept coming for the Lady Blazers as senior
Jillian Schenk got into the act for a 41-28 score with 8:20 to play. TNU would score eight of the next ten points, trimming the deficit to 43-36, capped with a bucket from Burgess with 4:33 remaining. Out of a timeout, Nelson scored a much-needed bucket pushing the lead to 45-36 lead with 2:55 to go.
Two free throws from Trotter pulled TNU within 45-38 with 1:07 to play. Whalen came down with her 13
th rebound with 58 seconds to go on a miss from Tatum Shaw and a timeout to advance the ball by VSU. Out of the stoppage, TNU had to foul twice to get into free throws. Justice then hit one of two for a 46-38 lead with 31 seconds remaining. Justice added one of two more free throws for a 47-38 lead with 13 seconds to play. Ikenasio scored the last bucket of the game for a 49-40 final.
The Lady Blazers return home to host Delta State on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at The Complex for the annual Pink Game as all fans are encouraged to wear pink for the game.
