CLEVELAND, Miss. – Despite a game-high 23 points from Nia Johnson, the Valdosta State University women's basketball team claimed a 69-60 victory over Delta State University on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. The Lady Statesmen (10-5, 5-3 GSC) were held to 40 percent from the floor while the Lady Blazers (11-5, 5-3 GSC) connected on 52 percent (26-of-50). The loss was the second in league play for DSU at home this season.
 
Kendra Green (16), Crystal Townsend (15) and Kayla Bonilla (13) scored in double figures for Valdosta State. 

THE BASICS:
Score:  Delta State 60 | Valdosta State 69
Records: Lady Statesmen 10-5, 5-3 GSC | Lady Blazers 11-5, 5-3 GSC
Series: Delta State leads 38-10
Location | Time: Sillers Coliseum | 5:30 PM
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Valdosta State's defensive effort made points hard to come by for the Lady Statesmen, as the Lady Blazers built a 4-0 lead with 7:15 to play in the first quarter. DSU turned the ball over three times in its first four possessions.
• Nia Johnson's free throws finally put the Lady Statesmen on the board with 7:07 to go in the quarter.
• The Lady Blazers held a 7-4 lead at the 4:58 media timeout. Nari Garner led VSU with three points.
• Kendra Green's hook shot off the glass gave the Lady Blazers their largest lead of the half, 14-6, with 2:54 to go in the first quarter.
• Frederica Heywood's lay-up with 39.8 seconds remaining in the quarter cut the VSU lead to three, 16-13. The basket was just the third field goal of the quarter for the Lady Statesmen.
• VSU led 18-15 at the end of the quarter. DSU shot 27.3 percent (3-of-11) while the Lady Blazers (7-of-10) were an outstanding 70 percent from the floor.
• Valdosta State opened the second half with a 7-0 run from C rystal Townsend to build a 10-point advantage, 25-15, with 7:53 to go in the half.
• The Lady Statesmen finally started chipping into the VSU lead with a driving lay-up by Heywood and a traditional 3-point play by Johnson cut the deficit to six, 28-22, at the 4:51 media break.
• VSU closed the half with a 37-28 lead, led by Townsend's 13 points. The Lady Blazers shot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the field while holding DSU to 36.4 percent (8-of-21). Johnson paced the Lady Statesmen with nine points.
• Delta State roared out of the locker room to start the second half, scoring six points to cut the VSU lead to three, 37-34, with 8:02 remaining in the third.
• Valdosta came right back with eight unanswered points to go up 11, 45-34, with 5:25 on the clock. The 11-point lead was the largest of the game for VSU.
• After back-to-back 3-pointers by VSU's Green, the Lady Blazers led by 15, 51-36, with 2:27 to play in the third.
• Heywood helped the Lady Statesmen cut the deficit to 10 with just over 45 seconds to go in the quarter.
• VSU closed the half with four points, including a long 3-pointer from Shon Kitchens, to lead 56-42 at the end of the third.
• The Lady Blazers kept their offensive rhythm to start the fourth, as VSU led by 17 points with 7:45 remaining in the game.
• DSU cut the margin to nine, 63-54, with an 8-0 run over the next 2:53.    
• Valdosta State held off a late surge by the Lady Statesmen to claim the 69-60 road win. It was the fifth in a row for VSU over the Lady Statesmen.

TURNING POINT

• Valdosta State outscored the Lady Statesmen 38-27 between the second and third quarters to build a commanding double-digit lead.

 
STAT OF THE GAME

• Valdosta State's bench contributed 31 of its 69 points in Saturday's victory.  

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Johnson's 23 points were the most the junior has scored at Sillers Coliseum this season and was just three short of her career-high of 26 points versus Shorter. The Sandersville, Ga., native was 8-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
• Quantesha Patterson finished with 12 points and five rebounds while Frederica Hewywood narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.
• Alondrea Rush, a senior from Horn Lake, scored four points to move within 10 points of Pam Taylor, who scored 1,094 points from 1988-91, on the career scoring chart. Rush is currently 33^rd with 1,084 points.

UP NEXT

• Delta State travels to Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday, Jan. 17, as the Lady Statesmen face No. 8 Union University. Tipoff is set for 5:30 PM at Fred Delay Gym. Philip Tang will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network (WMJW 107.5 FM) starting at 5:15 PM.