Written By Christopher Mercer, Sports Editor. Photo Courtesy of Flickr 

The VSU Lady Blazers return home to kick off a quick two-game home stand that significantly affects their playoff chances. 

The Lady Blazers are returning from a three-game road trip, during which they went 2-1, and are preparing for a crucial matchup. They enter this weekend’s matchup 13-9 and 8-8 in conference play and are fifth in the Gulf South Conference. Their next two opponents are the Delta State Lady Statesman, ranked sixth, and the Mississippi College Lady Choctaws, ranked fourth.  

So far, the Lady Blazers have been led by newcomers to the team, Ayrana Hicks and Kirsten Nelson. The duo had been the spark for the offense as they are two leading scorers for the Blazers this season. Nelson averages 14 points per game, six rebounds, while Hicks averages 11 points and five assists per game.  

The top four seeds in the Gulf South Conference tournament will receive a home game in the GSC tournament. With an opportunity to face teams that stand in their way, the Lady Blazers look for a chance to gain the edge in the standings as the tournament draws near.  

The Lady Blazers met both of their opponents earlier this season. In overtime, they defeated the Lady Statesman on the road on Jan.4, 60-5,8, and Nelson hit a fadeaway shot at the buzzer. However, they fell to the Lady Choctaws 73-65 in overtime two days earlier on Jan. 2.  

The Lady Blazers start their home stand on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. at the Complex, while the Mississippi College game will take place on Saturday at 2 p.m. All games will be streamed on the Flo Sports app.