MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo women's basketball fell to No. 7 Valdosta State 72-44 on Thursday night.
 
The Falcons struggled for the first two minutes of action until Marisa Snodgrass broke the ice with a layup to make the score 4-2. Following a VSU triple, Cali Smallwood went 2-for-2 from the line for her first points of the game at the 6:24 mark. With a bucket just before the media timeout, Valdosta State lead 9-4 with 4:48 to play. Out of the break, Snodgrass ended a near three-minute scoring drought before VSU answered with a three of its own. With 1:19 left in the first, Valdosta State converted an old-school three-point play to go up 20-9. Smallwood nailed her first three of the game with less than a minute to play before VSU answered with a three of its own to head into the second quarter with the Falcons trailing 25-12.
 
In the first possession of the second quarter, Snodgrass knocked down a three from the top of the key to cut the lead down to 10. In the next Falcon possession, Isabel Grimes sliced through the defense and finished at the rim before Snodgrass found a cutting Ramie Reid to start the second on a 7-0 Falcon run. Valdosta State ended the Falcons run with a three from the corner to make the score 28-19 with 7:05 to play. Freshman forward Lia Edwards went coast-to-coast with 5:38 left in the half to trim the lead down to seven. VSU then went on a 6-0 run before an Anna Katherine Eastman steal and lay-in ended the run with 3:29 to go. Grimes pulled out a circus finish at the rim for her fourth point of the game before ending the half with a successful trip to the line.
 
A Lia Edwards runner in the paint scored the first points of the second half before Valdosta State went on a quick 4-0 run to go up 44-29 with 6:28 to play. The two sides then stiffened up on the defensive end for a three-minute scoring drought for both teams until VSU ended the drought at the 3:39 mark. Ramie Reid converted 1-for-2 at the line to end a 5:35 scoring slump for Montevallo with 3:19 to play. Just over a minute later, Eastman nailed a three from the left corner to cut the lead down to 48-35 with 2:09 left. Valdosta State ended the quarter on a 6-0 run to head to the fourth leading 54-35.
 
The Falcons held the Lady Blazers to a scoreless 3:11 to start the fourth until a Smallwood three from the top of the key proved to be the first field goal of the quarter. Eastman finished through contact to cu the lead down to 17 with 5:58 to play before a Valdosta State three ended the Falcons 5-0 run. A quick 5-0 run from VSU opened a 66-41 lead with 3:38 left in the game. An 11-0 VSU run with 1:50 to play left the Falcons trailing by 25. Smallwood nailed a triple with less than two minutes to play but the Falcons couldn't make up the difference and fell 72-44 to No. 7 Valdosta State.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 44 | No. 7 Valdosta State 72
Records: Montevallo 13-12 (11-11 GSC) | No. 7 Valdosta State 23-2 (20-1 GSC)
Location: Central State Bank Arena | Montevallo, Ala.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
1^ST | The Falcons offense struggled to score in the opening 10 minutes with a 27.3 percent mark from the floor with just 12 points in the opening quarter. Valdosta State controlled the post with 10 points in the paint to Montevallo's two.
2^ND | Montevallo's defense stood tall in the second quarter allowing just 15 points from the Lady Blazers on a 28.6 percent shooting clip. The Falcons 50 percent mark from the field left the Falcons trailing by 13 at the half.
3^RD | Both sides struggled to find points in the third quarter with 22 total points in the third. With an 18.2 percent mark from the floor, Valdosta State held a 54-35 lead heading into the final stanza.
4^TH | The Falcons were outscored 18-9 in the final quarter with the Lady Blazers shooting 42.6 percent from the floor in the final 10 minutes.
 
GAME NOTES

• Montevallo was outscored in the paint 36-16 with Valdosta State taking advantage of Montevallo's turnovers with 26 points to UM's 11.
• The Falcons lost the rebounding battle 40-31 with VSU taking a 15-8 advantage on the offensive glass.
• Valdosta State made use of its bench players with 40 points coming from non-starters.

 
UP NEXT: Montevallo is set to host West Florida on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.