PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team fell 66-52 at West Florida in the Truist Gulf South Conference Quarterfinals Tuesday evening as the Lady Blazers season came to an end.  VSU finished the year with a 17-12 record, while UWF improved to 20-9.
 
VSU was led by 14 points from senior Kiersten Nelson on 6 of 13 from the field and 2 of 2 from the lien with a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Erin Whalen chipped in 11 points and five rebounds.  The Lady Blazer shot 32.3 percent for the game on 21 of 65, while they were 5 of 19 from distance and 5 of 6 from the line. 
 
The big discrepancy was in free throw shooting as UWF was 18 of 23 from the line, including 7 of 8 in the fourth quarter, while the Argos were 21 of 49 from the field for 42.9 percent and 6 of 19 from distance.  UWF held a 41-32 advantage in rebounding.  The Argos were led by 22 points and 11 rebounds from Bella Green and Haidyn Pitsch had 16 points off the bench. 
 
VSU scored the first eight points of the game through the first 4:07 of the contest.  A triple by Liv Becker got the Argos on the board as UWF closed within 12-9 with 1:18 to go in the quarter, but an offensive rebound by senior India Jordan and score from Nelson gave VSU a 14-9 lead through ten minutes.
 
The second quarter was back and forth early as Jordan buried a triple for a 19-14 VSU lead with 7:38 left in the half.  Pitsch trimmed the Lady Blazer lead to one at 23-22 with a bucket with 5:12 to play in the second quarter and then UWF took its first lead of the game on an "and one" with 3:05 to play at 25-23.  Jordan then buried another long one putting VSU back in front, but Becker answered at the other end with a triple for a 28-26 UWF lead with 2:15 remaining in the half, beginning a 7-0 run to end the half for a 32-26 score at the break. 
 
UWF's Delaney Truschel scored the first bucket of the second half for a 34-26 margin with 8:04 remaining in the third and a 9-0 run.  Jordan would answer with a layup a minute later starting a 6-0 run by the Lady Blazers to pull within 34-32 and 4:52 left in the frame.  UWF built the lead back to seven through three quarters at 45-38. 
 
Buckets two buckets from Nelson and one from junior Mary McMorris pulled VSU within 45-44 with 8:01 to play, but Green scored two more buckets and Becker added one for a 51-44 lead with 5:52 to go.  Triples from Whalen and senior Jacey Justice closed the margin to one at 51-50 with 4:56 to play, but UWF's Bella Stone drained a triple at the other end as UWF closed the game on a 16-1 run for the 66-52 final score.