The Lee University women’s basketball team gained revenge for one of its four Gulf South Conference losses this season by defeating Valdosta State University 59-44 in a hard-fought defensive battle inside Walker Arena on Thursday evening. The important victory improved the Lady Flames to 12-4 in conference play and 18-4 overall. The Lady Blazers dropped to 7-8, 12-9.
Lee will be seeking the same type of result when they host the University of West Florida on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.).
The Argonauts handed the Lady Flames a stunning 71-57 loss back on Dec. 19.
The low-scoring affair saw the Lady Flames hold a 10-9 lead at the end of the first period. Bailey Burgess hit a 3-pointer and scored her only points of the game in giving Lee a 22-20 lead at the halfway point. The nip-and-tuck affair continued for three periods and the Lady Flames still managed a 40-36 lead heading into the final frame.
Lee finally broke the battle open in the last 10 minutes, outscoring the Lady Blazers 19-8. After struggling to make free throws in the first half, Haylee Johnson was near perfect from the charity stripe in the second 20 minutes and helped carry her team to the victory.
Johnson made 10-of-14 free throws and finished the game with 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds. She was the only Lee player in double-figure scoring. Baylee Delbridge, who returned from a wrist injury, paced the Lady Flames with 10 rebounds. Anna Muhonen and Kara Williams tallied eight points each while Williams also hit a pair of key triples.
A key factor was the Lady Flames outscoring the taller Lady Blazers 32-16 in points in the paint. They also had 18 points to 12 points on turnovers. Both defenses forced plenty of floor mistakes. Valdosta State committed 20 and Lee 19. The Lee defense held the Lady Blazers to 29% shooting overall (13-of-45). They attempted 17 3-pointers and converted four (24%). At the free-throw line Valdosta State made 14-of-20. The Lady Flames shot a solid 47% overall (20-of-43) but struggled from long range 4-of-15 (27%) and on a rare occasion had trouble at the charity stripe, making just 15-of-23.
The Lady Blazers rode heavily on the inside play of Kiersten Nelson. She finished with 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 free throws. Mary McMorris came on late and hit a pair of triples in finishing with 11 points. Erin Whalen was her team’s leading rebounder (8) before leaving the game with a hand injury.