After a tough road loss to Alabama-Huntsville, Valdosta State’s first conference road trip of the season got tougher with an overtime loss, 76-69, to North Alabama on Saturday.

The loss drops VSU to 11-4 on the season and an even 2-2 in Gulf South Conference play. North Alabama is now 2-2 in the GSC and 10-5 overall.

The story of the game came at the free throw line. North Alabama shot 37 free throws to just nine for Valdosta State, none in the first half. There were 24 VSU fouls called, compared to just 11 for the Lions.

The Lady Blazers did take advantage of the free throws they did get, making 7 of 9, including a perfect 6 for 6 night from the charity stripe for Brittany Ferguson.

Ferguson finished with 22 points to lead Valdosta State, while Sczeny Hartry scored 16. Maylisa Johnson gave out six assists and Kourtnee Williams gave out four. Ferguson and Brittney Nelson led VSU in rebounding with four each.

Both teams traded baskets to start the game until Hartry broke it open with back-to-back three-pointers. Up 13-12, Hartry buried consecutive threes, followed by a mid-range jumper from Williams for eight consecutive points and a 21-12 lead before North Alabama could break the run.

The Lions answered with a 7-0 run of their own with two lay-ups and a three-pointer. Hartry broke the run with her third three-pointer of the half to make it 24-19 in favor of VSU. The Lady Blazers, however, would go on a four-minute scoring drought, which enabled the Lions to pull within one.

But in the last three minutes of the half, North Alabama scored four points to Valdosta State’s seven, three of which came on a Nelson three-pointer (one of five VSU three-pointers in the opening half). The Lady Blazers took a 31-27 lead into the break.

Valdosta State’s biggest problem in the first half was UNA’s Nichelle Fillmore, who scored 11 points. The Lady Blazers adjusted in the second half though, and held Fillmore to five points, three on free throws and two on her lone field goal of the half, which tied the game and forced overtime.

The teams played even to start the second half, but with VSU leading 40-34, the Lions scored six consecutive points to tie the game. Ferguson kept the Lady Blazers in it with all 10 VSU points in a seven-minute stretch.

North Alabama gained its first lead of the second half when Cierra Anderson scored a lay-up to go up 46-44.

Falling behind sparked the Lady Blazers. Ferguson scored two free throws, followed by two more points from Courtney Mitchell. Hartry and Ferguson also scored baskets to make it 52-48 with 7:20 left to play.

Ferguson scored again, but North Alabama pulled within two, 54-52, on two Fillmore free throws, her first points of the second half. Then consecutive three-pointers by Nelson and Hartry extended the lead to 60-52 for Valdosta State.

Both defenses locked down after Hartry’s three-pointer with 4:38 left. The next field goal for either team did not come until a Dana Jackson three-pointer for North Alabama with 35.3 seconds left to pull the Lions within two, 63-61. From the 5:52 mark until Jackson’s three, North Alabama scored eight points on free throws alone.

After Jackson’s three, the UNA defense pinned Bena Hanyard in the corner, forcing her to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, Johnson overthrew the inbounds pass to give UNA the ball with just over 30 seconds left. The Lions could not find an opportunity, so they called a timeout with 17.5 seconds left to play and 16 seconds left on the shot clock.

The Lions found Fillmore for her first field goal of the second half to tie the game at 63-63. After bringing the ball up the court, Valdosta State called a timeout with 6.3 seconds left to diagram the last play of regulation. Hanyard was able to drive for a fiercely contested lay-up, but could not get it to fall, and the game went into overtime.

After hitting the first field goal of overtime, North Alabama sank four free throws, while the Lady Blazers put in two field goals, resulting in a 69-67 UNA lead with 54.6 seconds left to play.

North Alabama would shoot six free throws to finish the game, resulting in 11 overtime free throws, while VSU could only free up Williams for a long two-pointer.

Valdosta State will look to rebound from a tough road trip against West Alabama in Livingston, Ala. at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.