HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Behind three players in double figures, the Valdosta State women's basketball team bounced back for a 71-66 victory at Alabama Huntsville Monday evening. VSU had three players in double figures as with 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench from senior Crystal Townsend.
The Lady Blazers (7-4, 2-2 GSC) also had 17 points from senior Sonya Franklin and sophomore Kayla Bonilla chipped in 16 as the team shot 24 of 66 from the field for 36.4 percent, while the struggles from beyond the arc continued, going just 3 of 18. VSU shot 20 of 29 from the line for 69 percent and outrebounded the Chargers 39-36. The Lady Blazers forced 17 miscues by the Chargers, leading to an 18-11 lead in points off turnovers as VSU had its lowest turnover total of the season with just eight miscues.
UAH (4-6, 2-2 GSC) was led by a game-high 23 points from Baylee Johnson, while Aryn Sanders added 17 points and Katie Speegle had 10 rebounds. UAH shot 20 of 41 from the field for 48.8 percent, while going 5 of 12 from range and 21 of 33 from the line (63.6). The game saw four ties and two lead changes.
Bonilla broke a 15-15 tie with a triple at the end of the first quarter for an 18-15 lead as VSU began the second quarter with a 5-0 run and an 8-0 spurt since the Bonilla trifecta. A pair of layups from Speegle cut the deficit to one on two occasions late in the frame, but VSU responded with the final five points for a 35-29 lead at intermission.
Franklin had 11 points to lead the Lady Blazers in the first half on 5 of 6 from the field, while Sanders had 11 points for the Chargers, going 6 of 8 from the line. Both teams struggled shooting in the second quarter after over 50 percent frames in the first stanza. VSU was 5 of 17 from the field in the second frame, while UAH was just 3 of 12.
Two free throws from Johnson tied the game at 43 as UAH used a 9-2 run with 2:26 left in the third, but Bonilla had the answer with a layup moments later as VSU stretched the lead back to six on a pair of charity tosses from junior Nari Garner.
In the fourth VSU built the lead to 10 at 58-48, but the Chargers continued to chip away and pulled within two twice with the latter being with 1:23 left at 62-60. Bonilla again came up with the score on a layup with 56 seconds left and two free throws from Towsend pushed the lead to six at 66-60 with 31 seconds remaining. UAH's Emiline Payne buried a triple, but senior Maddy Corazza hit both of her free tosses and Bonilla buried two later for the 71-66 win.
VSU returns home for the Christmas break and will host Thomas University Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. at The Complex.
