VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team used a 16-0 start to the second half and rallied from down ten at halftime, before holding off Auburn Montgomery for a 74-65 victory Saturday afternoon.  With the win, VSU improved to 9-8 overall and 6-5 in Gulf South Conference play.  
 
AUM (2-15, 2-9 GSC) outscored VSU 39-29 in the first half, but Lady Blazer junior Erin Whalen buried the first 3-pointer of the game for the Lady Blazers trimming the deficit to 39-33 with 8:21 to play in the third quarter, starting the big run and Hicks scored off a turnover by the Warhawks for a 6-0 start to the second half.  Sophomore Ka'Miah Pryor called bank on a 3-pointer for a 9-0 spurt pulling VSU within one at 39-38.  Then a steal in the back court and an "and one" for Whalen gave VSU a 41-39 lead with 6:38 to play in the quarter.  It marked the first lead for VSU since 5-3 in the first quarter.  
 
Sophomore Alina Martin scored following the fifth missed shot by AUM in the quarter for a 43-39 lead with 6:07 to play and a timeout by AUM as VSU extended the run to 14-0 to start the half.  VSU opened the half 5 of 7 from the field, while AUM was 0 of 5.  Freshman Raeanne Eccleston extended the run with a nice bank shot in the paint at 45-39 with under five minutes to play in the frame.   
 
AUM made one of two free throws to end the 16-0 run, but senior Aryana Hicks and Eccleston scored for a 49-40 lead with 3:30 to play in the frame.  A nice steal in the back court and layup from freshman Kaci Demps pushed the VSU lead to ten at 53-43 and a 24-4 start to the second half with AUM still searching for its first field goal of the second half.  AUM's Navaeh Small scored in the paint for the first made field goal for the Warhawks I the second half for a 53-45 VSU lead with 1:39 remaining in the frame.  Prior to that, AUM was 0 of 8 from the field for the quarter and eight turnovers to just one miscue for VSU in the stanza.  VSU held a 53-48 lead through 30 minutes and outscored AUM 24-9 in the third quarter.
 
Tamora Brown hit two buckets and a free throw to tie the game at 53 early in the fourth quarter for her 18^th point of the game.   From there the teams began trading buckets for a 57-57 score with 6:45 to play.  After AUM's Keziah Seay put the Warhawks in the lead, Whalen double-pumped and scored tying the game at 59.  Through the first five minutes of the fourth, the game saw five lead changes.
 
Pryor hit a corner pocket triple for a 64-60 lead with just over three minutes remaining for just the third triple of the game for the Lady Blazers.  Following a miss at the other end, Martin scored inside and then VSU drew the offensive foul on the Warhawks, while Eccleston continued her strong play down low for two and 60-60 lead with two minutes remaining.   AUM ended the run, but Eccleston was wide open on a good look from Hicks for a 70-62 score with just over a minute remaining.   Andie Flatgard hit her fourth triple of the game for a 70-65 score, but Eccleston had the answer at 72-65 for her 21^st point of the game. 
 
For the game, VSU shot 44.1 percent from the field on 30 of 68, while it was just 3 of 14 from deep and was 11 of 15 from the line.  Eccleston had a career-high 21 points on 9 of 13 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line, while pulling down seven rebounds leading four starters in double figures.  Whalen finished with 19 points on 8 of 18 from the field, 1 of 3 from deep and 2 of 3 from the line, along with seven rebounds and two steals.  Pryor was 6 of 10 from the field for 14 points and Hicks tallied her first double-double of the season with ten points and ten assists. VSU forced AUM into 17 turnovers and held a 19-10 lead in points off turnovers with just nine miscues by the Lady Blazers.  
 
AUM shot 39.7 percent from the field on 25 of 63 from the floor, while it was 5 of 14 from deep and 10 of 15 from the line.  The Warhawks held a 46-36 lead in rebounding for the game.  The game saw five ties and six lead changes.  Brown had a team-high 21 points on 8 of 20 from the field and 5 of 9 from the line, while Samya Brooks finished with 15 points and 11 rebound and Flatgard had 14 points highlighted by four triples.  
 
AUM took a 14-9 lead with 3:55 to play in the first quarter on a hoop-and-harm for Brown for the largest lead of the game for AUM to that point.   VSU opened the game 4 of 8 from the field, but missed its last three shots as Brooks pushed the lead to 16-9.   Whalen hit back-to-back buckets pulling VSU within 18-13 late in the quarter.  Brown scored her seventh point of the frame with a jumper and a 20-13 lead for the visitors with just over a minute remaining in the frame.  
 
For the first ten minutes, VSU shot 6 of 16 from the field for 37.5 percent, while it was 0 of 1 from distance and 1 of 1 from the line.  AUM was an even 50 percent from the floor on 9 of 18, while it was 1 of 3 from deep and 1 of 1 from the line.  AUM held a staggering 15-5 lead in rebounding and 4-0 on the offensive end for the first quarter. 
 
On the opening possession of the second quarter, Flatgard hit a triple from the top of the arc for a 23-13 score.  A nice bucket from Pryor and a jumper from Eccleston pulled the Lady Blazers within 23-17 with 8:31 left in the half.  VSU clawed within six, once again, with a nice dish from Hicks and Whalen's ninth point of the game with 7:11 remaining in the half.   Eccleston found easy sledding down low, trimming the deficit to four, but Flatgard buried her second triple of the frame at the other end, 28-21.  
 
The Lady Blazers pulled within 32-27 on a jumper from Whalen, but Flatgard hit her third triple of the half for a 35-27 lead with 2:34 to play in the half.  Brooks hit a jumper at the buzzer for a 39-29 lead through 20 minutes.  
 
VSU shot 14 of 32 from the field for the opening half, while AUM cooled off to 16 of 36 from the field for the half.  The Warhawks were 4 of 9 from deep, while VSU was 0 of 4.  The teams combined for four free throws with three from AUM and one from VSU.  Whalen had 11 points for the Lady Blazers on 5 of 12 from the field and the only free throw for VSU, while Brooks had 12 points and Flatgard added 11 for AUM.
 
The Lady Blazers return to the road this coming week, beginning the second half of the league season at UAH and at West Alabama.  The Lady Blazers return home to close out the month of January on Jan. 31 versus West Florida at 2 p.m. at The Complex.  The game against UWF is in conjunction with Hall of Fame Weekend and the B.A.A.R.  Click here for information and to register for Hall of Fame.