VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Valdosta State Lady Blazers basketball team overcame a sluggish start to defeat Lynn University for their first road win of the season. The Blazers were led by guards Kayla Bonilla and Cheray Saunders on their way to the 73-62 victory.
Bonilla led all scorers for the Lady Blazers with 23 points. The guard also added four rebounds and an assist in her season debut. Cheray Saunders continued her hot start to the new season with 22 points and eight rebounds. Nari Garner was also in double-digits for the Lady Blazers with 11.
For Lynn, Kevyn Mckae was the leading scorer for the Fighting Knights with 17.
VSU started out slow, as Lynn jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead. The Lady Blazers offense then came to life , as VSU used a 19-7 run to tie the game at 19 points apiece heading into the second quarter. Kayla Bonilla sparked the run for the Lady Blazers, including a deep three-pointer to bring VSU back.
The second quarter was a completely different story for both teams. After scoring a combined 38 points in the first quarter, both VSU and Lynn only combined for 17 points in the second quarter. Lynn took advantage of a poor shooting performance from the Lady Blazers, as VSU only shot 20% in the second quarter. Lynn shot 36.4% from the field. The Fighting Knights opened the scoring with a three-pointer from forward Sydney Fields. VSU finally got on the board with a free throw from Kayla Frey. After another quick score from Lynn, Bonilla weaved her way through the defense before laying up another basket off the glass to cut the deficit to tie the game at 24. Lynn would put together a 5-3 run to close out the first half, leading VSU 29-27.
After the break, both teams traded scores to open the second half. VSU used a 13-3 run to end the third quarter. Bonilla was once again the leading scorer in the quarter for the Blazers with eight, while Nari Garner also chipped in with seven.
Clinging to a nine-point lead, the Lady Blazers held off multiple late runs from the Fighting Knights. Lynn cut the deficit to six and four points, but VSU was able to fend off the late rallies to secure its third win of the season.
Up Next:
The Lady Blazers will hit the road once again for their first conference tests of the season as they travel to Tennessee for a pair of Gulf South Conference games. First, VSU will face Christian Brothers on November 23 at 3 p.m., before wrapping up its road trip against Union on November 25 at 6:30 p.m. Check back with vstateblazers.com for the latest updates on all things Blazer basketball.
