VALDOSTA, Ga. – A 17-4 third quarter and a 32-12 second half propelled the Valdosta State women's basketball team to a 61-35 victory over visiting Christian Brothers Thursday evening at The Complex.  VSU improved to 14-11 overall and 11-8 in Gulf South Conference play, while CBU fell to 3-22 overall and 0-19 in league play.    
 
The Lady Blazers did their part in terms of doing what needed to be done to clinch a spot in the upcoming Gulf South Conference postseason championship, but will have to wait on the outcome of the Mississippi College at Trevecca Nazarene game as VSU needs a MC loss to clinch the spot officially.  
 
VSU held CBU to just 12 points in the second half and 4 of 29 shooting in the final 20 minutes, while VSU shot 12 of 25 from the field in the final half, 5 of 11 from distance and 3 of 8 from the line.  For the game, sophomore Raeanne Eccleston and junior Alina Sapilak each had 11 points off the bench, while freshman starter Chardae Rumph added ten points.  Senior Aryana Hicks finished with six assists moving her into the top ten in school history in career assists with 249.  VSU shot 42.9 percent from the field on 24 of 56 from the floor, while it was 7 of 18 from distance and 6 of 14 from the line.  VSU forced 19 turnovers and had just 10 miscues, while holding a 17-4 advantage in points off turnovers in the annual Play4Kay/Pink Game.  
 
In a very low scoring game early as both teams were feeling each other out, VSU held a 7-6 lead on one of two free throws from sophomore Ka'Miah Pryor with 5:31 to play in the opening quarter.  From there, both teams struggled over the next three minutes and change, as Lady Blazer freshman Kaci Demps drew a charge on CBU.  Sophomore Alina Martin made one of two free throws for an 8-6 lead with 2:20 to play in the quarter as both teams were a combined 2 of their last 13 shots from the field.  VSU held the 8-6 lead through ten minutes.  VSU opened the game 3 of 16 from the field, while CBU was 3 of 13.  Both teams were 0 of 3 from distance, while VSU was 2 of 4 from the line through the first quarter.
 
Eccleston took a nice dish from senior Aryana Hicks for a bucket and a 10-6 lead with 9:25 left in the half, while Sapilak score in transition for a 12-6 lead and a timeout by CBU with 8:48 remaining in the first half.  The bucket from Eccleston was the first for VSU since Hicks tied the score at 6-6 midway through the first quarter.   Out of the timeout, CBU's Mya Bourget scored and then a steal and layup pulling the Lad Bucs within 12-10 with 8:04 remaining in the half.  CBU had not scored a point since the 6:31 mark in the first quarter. 
 
A 3-pointer from Bourget gave CBU the lead, but Sapilak answered with a triple at the other end and a 15-13 Lady Blazer lead with 6:18 to go in the second quarter.  It marked the first made 3-pointers for either team in the contest. A bucket from junior Erin Whalen and a turnover on the Lady Bucs followed by a triple from Rumph gave VSU a 22-16 lead with 3:40 to play, but CBU had the answer with a corner 3-pointer slicing the deficit in half at the other end.  
 
Hicks found Eccleston inside for a 25-19 score and under three minutes to play in the half.  A steal and fast break layup from Whalen pushed the Lady Blazer lead to 27-20 with just under 90 seconds remaining in the half and another steal and score from Rumph pushed the lead to 29-20, but CBU hung around with another 3-pointer from the corner trimming the deficit to six at intermission, 29-23.  
 
For the half, VSU was 12 of 31 from the field, while it was 2 of 7 from deep and 3 of 6 from the line.  CBU was 9 of 27 from the field, 3 of 9 from distance and 2 of 4 from the line.  Rumph had a team-high seven points for the Lady Blazers, while Bouquet had nine for CBU.
 
With the shot clock winding down on the first possession of the second half, Whalen hit a triple for a 32-23 lead and the largest of the game to that point.  Two free throws from freshman Rebecca Souverain pushed the Lady Blazer lead to double digits at 34-23 and a timeout by CBU with 7:40 left in the third.   Out of the timeout, Eccleston scored inside for a 36-23 lead and her eighth point of the game.  Junior Jada Williams hit a triple for a 39-23 lead, stretching the run to start the second half to 10-0 with 4:46 to play in the quarter.  
 
VSU began the second half 3 of 4 from the field with two free throws and two triples, while CBU was 0 of 8 from the floor.  CBU's Alice Conrad scored inside for the first points of the half for the Lady Bucs cutting the VSU lead to 41-25 with 2:34 to play in the quarter.  Sapilak buried a triple for a 17-2 start to the second half and a 46-25 score with just over a minute remaining in the third. VSU held a 46-27 lead through 30 minutes.  
 
Sapilak hit her third triple and the seventh of the game for VSU midway through the fourth quarter for a 54-29 lead for Sapilak's 11^th point of the game as VSU scored eight of the first ten points of the fourth quarter.  
 
VSU outscored CBU 15-8 in the fourth quarter and 32-12 for the second half.  
 
The Lady Blazers host Union in a key game on Saturday at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.  Prior to the game, the Lady Blazers will honor Hicks, the lone senior on the team playing in her final regular season home game in a Lady Blazer uniform.  VSU will be going for its 13^th victory at home Saturday (12-3).