VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's basketball team came up just short in a 78-73 loss to Union on Senior Day.  Lady Blazer junior Erin Whalen scored a career-high 27 points for the Lady Blazers, but strong 3-point shooting from Union proved to be the difference in the game.
 
The Lady Blazers (14-12, 11-9 GSC) shot 37.7 percent from the field on 23 of 61 from the floor, while they were 7 of 19 from beyond the arc and 20 of 26 from the line.  Freshman Raeanne Eccleston had 12 points of the bench, while Whalen was 9 of 16 from the field, 5 of 9 from distance and 4 of 5 from the line with six rebounds and three steals.  Eccleston was 5 of 6 from the field and 2 of 3 from the line, while pulling down five rebounds and had two steals.  
 
Union (19-9, 14-6 GSC) was led by 26 points from Olivia Lee on 7 of 12 from the field, 3 of 6 from distance and 9 of 10 from the line, while Courtney Zensen added 18 points and Aubrey Sorrells chipped in ten points off the bench.  The Lady Bulldogs shot 42.1 percent from the field, while they were 13 of 40 from distance and 17 of 21 from the line.  The game saw six lead changes and three ties. 
 
Prior to the game, VSU honored senior student manager Sam Myers and senior women's basketball guard Aryana Hicks in their final regular season home games as a Blazer.  VSU would like to wish both Hicks and Myers best of luck in their future endeavors.
 
VSU, who clinched a berth in the GSC postseason tournament on Thursday and will close the regular season Wednesday and Friday at Auburn Montgomery and Montevallo, respectively.  
 
Whalen hit a triple for a 5-3 lead off an assist from Hicks with 6:37 to play in the opening quarter and the Lady Blazers' first lead of the game.  Whalen then hit two free throws for a 7-3 lead, before Union's Courtney Zensen buried a triple, but Whalen continued her strong play with a jumper and her seventh point of the quarter fosr a 9-6 lead.  Union regained the lead, but junior Alina Martin earned the "and one" for a 14-13 VSU lead with 2:43 left in the quarter.  
 
Lady Blazer junior Jada Williams hit one free throw for a 15-13 lead and then scored inside for a 17-13 lead through the first ten minutes.  VSU opened the game 6 of 16 from the field, while Union was 5 of 12.  The Lady Bulldogs were 3 of 8 from deep, while VSU was 1 of 3.  VSU was 4 of 5 from the line, while Union did not attempt a free throw. 
 
VSU pushed the lead to 19-13 on the first possession of the second quarter, but Union answered with its fourth triple of the game this time from Katie Yoder and then later Olivia Lee gave Union the lead at 22-21 with her eighth point of the game on a 3-pointer with 8:02 remaining in the half.  Union's Abigail Bryan hit a 3-pointer for a 25-21 Lady Bulldog lead with 7:01 left in the half and the seventh made 3-pointer of the game by the visitors to that point.  Bryan then drained the eighth triple of the half for a 28-21 Union lead with 5:37 to go in the second quarter, marking the largest lead of the game for either team to that point.  
 
Hicks hit a jumper for a 29-23 deficit for VSU's first point since the 8:16 mark and then Whalen scored inside for a 29-25 deficit with 3:38 to play in the half.  Hicks made two free throws for a 31-27 deficit with three minutes left in the second quarter, but Union had the answer from distance, once again, with a triple from Aubrey Sorrells for a 34-27 score.  
 
For the first half, VSU shot 10 of 29 from the field, while it was 1 of 6 from distance and 6 of 7 from the line.  Union was 12 of 27 from the field, including 9 of 21 from deep and 1 of 2 from the line.  The Lady Bulldogs had just three non-3-point field goals for the half.  Union held a 19-15 lead in rebounding, while the half saw six lead changes and two ties.  VSU held a 9-3 lead in points off turnovers.  Whalen had a team-high nine points, while Olivia Lee and Sorrells each had eight for Union.  
 
The 3-point barrage by the Lady Bulldogs continued in the second half for a 37-27 and Lee scored inside for a 39-27 advantage 40 seconds into the half.  Whalen answered with a 3-pointer for a 39-30 deficit with 8:44 left in the third.   Later, Whalen scored her 14^th point of the game on an assist from Martin for a 45-37 deficit with 5:06 remaining in the third earning the "and one".  
 
Freshman Raeanne Eccleston pulled VSU within 45-39 with a layup and an assist from William with 3:53 remaining in the third.  Two free throws from Martin and a 3-pointer from Whalen pulled VSU within 45-44 with 2:33 left in the quarter and a 10-0 run since the 5:53 mark.  Freshman Rebecca Souverain tied the game at 45 with one of two free throws extending the run 11-0 with 1:48 left in the quarter.  Lee ended the run with a 3-pointer for a 48-45 score with 57 remaining in the frame, but Hicks scored with five seconds remaining, pulling VSU within 48-47 through three quarters.  Union made 11, 3-pointers through three quarters had just five non-3-point buckets and five free throws.  
 
Zensen opened the fourth with a 3-pointer and Sorrells scored inside for a 53-47 Union lead, before Eccleston scored pulling VSU within 53-49 with 8:27 to play.  Union stretched the lead back to seven at 58-51 with six minutes remaining.  Zensen hit Union's 13^th, 3-pointer of the game for a 67-58 score, but Eccleston scored inside off an offensive rebound for a 67-60 deficit and 3:13 to play.  Off an offensive foul and turnover on Union, freshman Chardae Rumph hit a 3-pointer for the Lady Blazers for a 67-63 deficit.  Union made its free throws down the stretch and held a 72-65 lead with 36 seconds remaining. 
 
Out of a timeout, Eccleston made two free throws for a 72-67 deficit, but VSU had to foul at the other end. Whalen buried a triple for a 74-70 deficit, but Union kept making its charity shots for a 76-70 score with 16 seconds remaining.  Union fouled to prevent the 3-point shot by VSU and junior Alina Sapilak made three free throws for a 76-73 score with 14 ticks to play as she was fouled on a 3-point shot.  VSU immediately fouled and Zensen made two free throws pushing the Union lead back to five at 78-73.