Valdosta State’s Courtney Mitchell (32) goes up for a jump shot in a game versus Christian Brothers in late January. Mitchell and the Lady Blazers host Alabama-Huntsville tonight at 6 p.m.

The Valdosta State women’s basketball team won its ninth straight game Saturday night, beating the Christian Brothers Lady Buccaneers, 57-42.

VSU struggled, finishing the game just 35 percent from the floor. The Lady Blazers’ struggles were most felt in the second half, when they connected on just 8 of 28 field goal attempts. Despite the struggles, head coach Kiley Hill was pleased with his team’s effort.

“A win is a win,” Hill said. “I thought our kids played hard. We didn’t play as well as we wanted to, especially in the second half. We just didn’t make some shots, but we played well defensively.”

Despite the limited offensive production, 10 different Lady Blazers scored on the night, with three finishing in double figures. Kourtnee Williams led the way with 11 points, while Brittany Ferguson finished the night with a double-double, recording 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Sczeny Hartry added 10 points in the win.

“I think we have some depth to play with,” Hill said. “Again, I thought we did a good job getting second and third opportunities when shots didn’t fall.”

Defensively, the Lady Blazers held the Lady Buccaneers in check, forcing 22 turnovers on the night, which turned into 17 Lady Blazer points.

After falling behind 2-0, the Lady Blazers took control, jumping out to a 21-8 lead in the opening half. Hartry had the hot hand early, recording six of VSU’s first eight points on the night.

Following a free throw from CBU’s Candis Clear, the Lady Blazers picked up where they left off, going on a 12-4 run across the final 7:05 in the first half. During the final run of the half, five different Lady Blazers scored, including Williams, who finished the half with eight points. Hartry also finished the half with eight points, on 4 of 7 shooting.

The Lady Blazers struggled heavily in the second half, especially in the first 10 minutes, connecting on just 2 of 14 field goal attempts to start the half. VSU failed to score a single point until the 14:22 mark of the half, which came on the first of back-to-back free throws from Ferguson. VSU’s first field goal of the half came one possession later when Ferguson scored on a breakaway layup.

“We never got a complete flow of the game,” Hill said. “I give (Christian Brothers) credit. We didn’t necessarily know, at moments, what they were going to do.”

During VSU’s shooting woes to begin the half, Christian Brothers closed the gap, getting within 14 points. VSU built its lead back to 18 points with 5:04 remaining, but Christian Brothers wasn’t done. The Lady Buccaneers fought back, using a 12-6 run to get within 12 points, 54-42, with 43 seconds remaining.

“That is going to happen over the course of a game,” Hill said. “But we made shots and free throws when we had to.”

Valdosta State returns to action on Thursday night, when the Lady Blazers visit the University of Alabama-Huntsville. The Lady Chargers are the only other undefeated team in the Gulf South Conference.