Box Score / Event Stats

Lady Blazers Make It To The Sweet Sixteen

VSU downs Arkansas Tech 58-53

CLEVELAND, Miss. - Nina Risto scored a game-high 18 points to lead No. 6 Valdosta State to a 58-53 victory over No. 2 Arkansas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball South Regional at Walter Sillers Coliseum Saturday night.

Valdosta State (26-5) led throughout the first half as it opened the game on an 18-4 run. Risto and Michelle Thompson hit a pair of jumpers to open the game before ATU's Nikki Earles got the Golden Suns on the board with a basket. VSU responded with a pair of Julie Kongeskov free throws and a basket from Janelle Collazo and, after Earles hit her second basket of the game, got a lay-in from Risto and five straight points from Thompson. Collazo closed out the run with a three to post the Lady Blazers to a 14-point advantage eight and a half minutes into the contest.

Arkansas Tech (26-6) fought back over the next three minutes as it staged a 10-0 spurt of its own to close to within 18-14. Krishna Baker scored seven of the 10 ATU points during the run while hitting both of her field goals, including a three, and a pair of free throws.

VSU rebounded to rebuild a 10 point advantage en route to a 30-22 halftime lead.

The Lady Blazer lead grew to as much as 12, on a Risto jumper with 14:09 remaining in the contest, before the Golden Suns scored nine straight points to close to within three. Brittany Gottsponer started the spurt with a lay-in before Earles added a bucket. ATU added three straight free throws to close to within five and added an Amanda Grappe basket to cut its deficit to 38-35 with 7:03 remaining.

Neither team scored over the next two minutes before Risto broke a seven minute scoreless streak for VSU with back-to-back baskets to push the Lady Blazer advantage back to seven points.

The VSU lead remained between four and seven points over the remaining minutes. Leschelle Matthews hit five-of-seven free throws during the remaining 90 seconds of play, including one as a part of a three-point play, and the Lady Blazers hit 10-of-13 overall to secure the victory.

Risto hit eight of her 14 field goal attempts in the contest while Thompson poured in 16 for Valdosta State. The Lady Blazers hit just 35.8 percent of their field goal attempts, but were successful on 16-of-19 free throw attempts in the contest while owning a 35-32 advantage in rebounding.

Baker led Arkansas Tech with 17 points while Grappe added 11 and Anna Baran 10. The Golden Suns shot 40.4 percent from the field, but were hampered as they hit just 11-of-18 free throws.

Valdosta State advances to Monday's South Region championship game where it will face the winner of Saturday's second semifinal game between No. 1 Delta State and No. 5 West Georgia. Monday's contest is slated for a 7:00 p.m. tip.

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