VALDOSTA, GA. - The University of Montevallo women's basketball team lost 85-71 to Valdosta State on the road in the first of two Gulf South Conference contests these teams will play this weekend. The Falcons are now 7-4 overall with a 7-3 mark in GSC play. Tonight's game also marked UM's first loss on the road this season.
 
The Falcons offensive struggles coupled with the hot shooting of the Blazers proved to be the difference in the game. VSU shot 61.4 percent from the field and 57.9 percent from deep while the Falcons shot just 32.4 percent from the floor and 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.
 
VSU hit the first shot out of the gate, and never trailed again. UM tied the game 7-7 with 5:50 left in the first quarter on a Jordan Jones layup, but the Blazers came down the next possession to retake the lead and would hold onto it the rest of the night.
 
UM was able to keep the deficit to single digits for most of the first half, with Jones leading the Falcons with 13 points in the first two quarters. VSU took a 10-point lead into the break after hitting a 3-pointer on their last possession of the half.
 
The Blazers opened the second half on an 18-8 run that gave them their largest lead of the night, 58-38, with 5:39 left in the third quarter. The Falcons made several pushes in the third and fourth quarters, but VSU had an answer every time UM made a push.
 
Montevallo dominated the turnover battle, forcing 32 VSU turnovers while only committing 15 of their own. However, even with a +17 turnover margin, the hot shooting of the Blazers was too much to overcome.
 
Jones poured in a team-high 19 points to go along with five boards and two steals. Kiya Sain chipped in 17 points and had a game-high 4 steals. Marisa Snodgrass was the only other Falcon to hit double digits with 13 points and a team-high four assists

UP NEXT: The Falcons will face Valdosta State again tomorrow and try to split the weekend series at 1 p.m. on the road.