VALDOSTA — Coming off their seventh straight victory Tuesday evening, the No. 23 Valdosta State women’s basketball team continue at home as it hosts Auburn Montgomery on Saturday at 2 p.m., and then Monday afternoon at 3 p.m., versus Montevallo.
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the women’s basketball schedule page. The games will be streamed live on FloSports with Jack Calhoun having the call, while the games will be broadcast on both Talk 92.1 WDDQ FM and 94.3 WJEM Fox Sports Valdosta with Mike Chason having the call.
The Lady Blazers enter at 10-2 overall and in a three-way tie for the top spot in the Gulf South Conference standings at 7-1, sharing the spot with Union and Lee heading into the weekend. AUM is 7-6 overall and 5-4 in GSC play this season, while Montevallo is 6-3 in league play and 8-4 overall this season as the Falcons will play at West Florida on Saturday before heading to Valdosta for the Monday afternoon contest.
Lady Blazer head coach Deandra Schirmer is 94-30 overall in her five seasons in Titletown, while she is 70-19 in GSC play. Schirmer is 10-0 all-time against AUM and 8-2 against Montevallo. Overall, VSU is 14-0 all-time against AUM and won both meetings last season 75-62 in Valdosta on Feb. 18, 2023, and won in Montgomery 75-56, on Dec. 31, 2022.
VSU has won 19 of the last 21 in the series dating back to a 47-42 win by Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama, on Jan. 23, 2006. The Lady Blazers have won five-straight in the series and eight of nine. VSU’s last home loss in the series was on Feb. 6, 2021, 78-70. Overall, VSU has lost at home just twice all-time in the series (19-2) with the only other setback being on Jan. 21, 2002, in a 70-67 decision.
On Tuesday, the Lady Blazers battled back for a 75-67 victory over rival West Florida in a key GSC matchup. VSU junior Kalifa Ford set a career-high in scoring with 26 points on 11 of 14 from the field, 1 of 1 from beyond the arc and 3 of 3 from the line.
Senior Taylor Searcey added 18 points on 8 of 14 from the field and 2 of 3 from the line, while senior Aleisha Curry added 11 points off the bench. Junior Victoria Ikenasio had career-high 12 rebounds with nine points as VSU shot an even 50% for the game.
VSU outscored UWF 25-14 in the fourth quarter and took the lead for good on a triple from senior Emma Martin with 4:02 to play, outscoring UWF 13-4 the rest of the way.
Auburn Montgomery enters after a 90-69 loss at home to No. 6 Union on Tuesday. In that game, Jamya Tyus had a team-high 20 points for the Warhawks on 10 of 14 from the field, while Nevaeh Small added 16 points as both came off the bench. The starting five only scored 27 points for the game. Union made 16 triples in the game in 51 attempts as the team combined for 99 rebounds and 38 on the offensive end.
For the season, AUM is averaging 65.9 points per game and allowing 65.8 per contest. The Warhawks are shooting at a 41.2 clip from the field on299 of 725, while they are 75 of 264 from deep (28.4) and 184 of 249 from the line for a 73.9 average. AUM has made 27 more free throws (184-249) than the opposition has attempted (113-157).
The Warhawks are averaging 35.8 rebounds per game and allowing 31.6 per contest. AUM is averaging just 13.3 fouls per game for ninth nationally and tops in the GSC, while the Warhawks average 13.8 offensive rebounds per game for second in the league.
Individually, Allasha Dudley leads the GSC in double-doubles with five for 25th nationally, while she is fourth in the league in free throws made (50) and third in free throw percentage (84.7 on 50 of 59). Dudley leads the team in scoring at 16.8 points per game for third in the GSC, while teammate Danielle Luckey leads the GSC in total rebounds with 116 for 23rd nationally.
Luckey is second in the GSC in rebounds per game at an 8.9 clip. She also is second in the GSC in blocks with 25 for 21st nationally. Head coach John Plefka is in his first year at the helm of the Warhawks. He came to AUM after six years as head coach at NCAA Division II member Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. He is 91-62 in seven seasons of coaching and helped turn Post into a conference contender as Post had just one winning season in 15 years prior to his arrival.
Montevallo enters the week following a 59-43 win over Christian Brothers and a heartbreaking 79-73 loss to No. 6 Union on Dec. 31. Against Union, the Lady Bulldogs outscored Montevallo 23-13 in the fourth quarter after Montevallo took the lead in the third with a 26-13 frame.
UM then turned the tables with a 23-14 fourth quarter in the win over Christian Brothers. The Falcons had four players in double figures and three starters as Cali Smallwood had 11 points and 14 rebounds, while Anna Katherine Eastman also had 11 points and went 3 of 9 from distance to lead the team. UM shot just 30.4 percent for the game, but held CBU to 22.4 percent from the field for the contest.
Former assistant coach Olivia Chapman takes over the reins of head coach as she was the assistant for head coach Gary Van Atta since June, 2022.
This season, the Falcons lead the GSC in free throw percentage at a 76.2 clip on 176 of 231 from the line for 37th nationally and the team is second in the GSC in free throws made per game at a 14.67 clip. UM also excels from beyond the arc as it is 30th nationally and second in the GSC in 3-pointers attempted per game at a 24.5 clip. UM is 91 of 294 from distance this season for a 31.0 average. The Falcons only turn the ball over 12.7 times per game for 12th nationally and tops in the GSC.
Individually, Isabel Grimes leads the team averaging 12.3 points per game, while Smallwood averages a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. Grimes is 17th nationally in free throws attempted (77) for second in the GSC, while she is 20th nationally in free throws made (61) and leads the team with a 79.2 free throw percentage.
Marisa Snodgrass leads the GSC in assist/turnover ratio at a 2.80 clip, while she has 56 assists on the year for second in the league and 29th nationally. Snodgrass also leads the GSC in steals with 39 for ninth nationally and has a 3.25 steals per game clip for 13th nationally and tops in the league.
This season, the Lady Blazers are seventh nationally in field goal percentage at a 47.3 clip to lead the GSC, while the team is second in the GSC in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to a 38.1 clip. VSU is second in rebounding margin at a 6.9 clip for 31st nationally, while the team is second in the league in scoring defense (59.8) and second in scoring margin (11.8).
VSU is 15th nationally and tops in the GSC in 3-point field goal percentage at a 37.1 clip on 75 of 202. Individually, Ford is 22nd nationally and second in the GSC in field goal percentage at a 56.3 clip on 58 of 103 from the field as she leads the team averaging 15.9 points per game for fourth in the league. Ford is fourth in the GSC in free throw percentage at an 84.4 clip on 38 of 45, while Curry leads the team in free throws made with 43 of 52 for an 82.7 clip for sixth in the league.
Searcey is second in the GSC in defensive rebounds at 5.5 per contest, while Martin leads the team league in 3-point field goal percentage at a 44.4 clip for 20th nationally on 28 of 63 from distance.
Following the games on Saturday and Monday afternoons, the Lady Blazers return to the road at Alabama Huntsville and at West Alabama next week, before returning home to host Shorter on Jan. 18 and Lee on Jan. 20 for Hall of Fame Weekend.