GSC WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

VALDOSTA, Ga. – The UWF women's basketball team endured a foul-plagued second quarter and dropped a 67-62 road contest to Valdosta State in the regular-season finale at The Complex on Thursday.
 
The loss places UWF (16-11, 11-9 Gulf South) into the GSC Tournament, presented by VisitSpaceCoast.com as the No. 6 seed. The Argonauts will face No. 3 seed Valdosta State (21-7, 15-5) in Tuesday's first round game. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
 
But on Thursday, the Argonauts got off to a sizzling start. UWF opened the game on an 8-0 run and added a 9-0 skein before staking a 20-7 lead after the first quarter. UWF made 9-of-17 shots, including four of its final five while holding VSU to 2-of-14 in the frame.
 
But the second quarter told a much different story. Shaniqua Magee and Courtney Meyer each picked up their second fouls and were relegated to the bench with Halee Nieman, who had two in the first quarter. With 10 points and seven rebounds off the floor, the Lady Blazers were able to go inside for much of the period. They outscored the Argos 12-2 in the paint and 18-2 in the second 10 minutes to grab a 25-22 lead going in to the intermission.
 
The teams played even in the third quarter, tying at 24-24 to set up a wild final 10 minutes. 
 
UWF took the lead 53-51 on a Belle Bistrow 3-pointer for the right corner. The lead traded hands three more times over the next few minutes before the Lady Blazers had the ball and led 61-59 in the final minute. 
 
As the shot clock wound down, Taylor Buie was left alone in the corner and drained a 3-pointer with 35.5 seconds to play that put VSU ahead 64-59. The triple was the seventh of the game for Buie, who finished with a career-high 24 points. Madi Mitchell had 25 points to lead all scorers.
 
The Argonauts shot 37 percent overall and made six 3-pointers. Magee tied her career high set on Saturday with 18 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Nieman 15 points, while Bistrow, Goodman and Jade Davis pitched in with six apiece.
 
The winner of Tuesday's tourney game will advance to Saturday's semifinals at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham Ala. against the North Alabama-West Alabama winner at 2:15 p.m. Central Time.