VALDOSTA — Exactly 40 years ago, in the 1983-84 season, the Valdosta State women’s basketball program arguably had its best campaign in program history going a school-best 30-3 overall under legendary head coach and VSU Athletic Hall of Fame honoree Charles Cooper en route to a berth in the NCAA national semifinals. The 1983-84 edition won a school-record 21-straight games which has been matched by the 2023-24 squad this season.
The 1983-84 team is the only Lady Blazer squad in program history to reach the national semifinals, but fifth year head coach Deandra Schirmer’s crew reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1984, two years ago, winning the regional at top-seeded Union University in thrilling fashion, 66-58, over the Lady Bulldogs in the regional final. VSU lost a heartbreaker to eventual national runner-up Western Washington, 58-55 in the Elite Eight in Birmingham, Alabama, on Mar. 21, 2022.
Forty years ago, the Lady Blazers were in their third year under Cooper and were coming off a 27-4 record in 1982-83, and a 16-8 record in 1981-82, after he took over for Lyndal Worth who had coached the Lady Blazers since 1974.
Cooper’s 1983-84 squad was highly talented as he had All-America selection Janice Washington and Pam Johnson, who led the team in scoring and rebounding.
Washington led the nation in field goal percentage at a staggering .630 clip, while her 23.4 points per game were good for second nationally. Washington also was strong at the charity stripe, going 155-of-198 and averaged a team-high 11.0 rebounds. Her 771 points scored that season is atop the school record book for single season points, along with her 308 made field goals. She was a consensus choice on two All-America teams and was a member of the all-tournament team at the national finals.
Johnson pulled down 10.6 rebounds per game, while averaging 18.0 points per game. Johnson finished with 160 blocks for the season. Along with the standout individual accolades,
Cooper’s squad finished third nationally in scoring at 82.2 points per game, while it was third nationally in field goal percentage (.501), tenth in free throw percentage (.713) and 11th in scoring margin (15.7).
With four returning starters following the 27-4 record in 1982-83, Cooper felt the Lady Blazers had a strong chance for a run at a national title. Despite an injury prior to the season to Sherri France, an All-America candidate who averaged 16.7 points and 8.7 rebounds the season before, Cooper’s squad opened the season with wins over Albany State and Big Ten Conference foe Wisconsin, before a loss to Southeastern Conference-member Kentucky.
From there, the Lady Blazers won 21-straight games to set the school-record for consecutive victories, prior to an 81-74 loss to Central Florida. Like elite teams do, they responded, as the Lady Blazers then rattled off six-straight wins earning a berth in the National Semifinals in Springfield, Massachusetts, losing a heartbreaker to Central Missouri, 74-70.
The 1983-84 Lady Blazer roster included Gina Bozeman, Anneliese Canning, Marianne Canning, Cindy Cooper, Kajuansa Cornelius, Candace Fincher, Sherri France, Kim Hamm, Johnson, Lisa Leland, Bridgett Moore, Debbie Roberson and Washington. There is strong representation of the 1983-84 team in the VSU Athletic Hall of Fame as Fincher was inducted in 1999, Washington in 2002, Moore in 2004 and Johnson in 2019 from a student-athlete standpoint, while Coach Cooper was enshrined in 2020.
In looking at the 2023-24 edition of the Lady Blazers, Schirmer has been outstanding in her five years in Titletown, going 108-30 thus far, as she became the third-fastest coach to win 100 games in her career at VSU in just 130 games. Only Worth (120 games) and Cooper (127 games) needed fewer games, and they also won 100 games in their fifth seasons like Schirmer. Schirmer currently holds an 84-19 record in GSC play.
VSU has its sights set on a return trip to the Elite Eight and further this season. The Lady Blazers are 24-2 overall and a school-best 21-1 in Gulf South Conference play this season, winning its 21st-straight game with a thrilling 78-55 victory at Auburn Montgomery last Saturday.
The Lady Blazers have not dropped a game since the 59-53 setback at Lee on Nov. 25, 2023. Valdosta State and Azusa Pacific (California) are tied for the longest current winning streak in NCAA Division II women’s basketball, while Nova Southeastern is third at 20-straight victories.
The 21-straight victories by both the 1983-84 team and the 2023-24 squad, are tied for fourth-most in GSC history. The 21 wins this season all are against GSC competition, which is the second-longest winning streak against conference foes in league history. Delta State won 29 straight league games from 2006-2009, while it also won 33 straight games overall for the longest winning streak in league history (2007-08).
The Lady Blazers currently are ranked No. 2 nationally in the newest D2 College Sports Communicators Top 25 for the highest ranking in that poll in program history, while VSU is sixth in the latest Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25.
Nationally speaking, VSU sits eighth nationally and tied for lead in the GSC in field goal percentage at a 46.6 clip, while the team is ninth nationally in scoring defense at 53.8 points allowed per game to lead the league and ninth nationally in scoring margin at 17.9 for second in the league. VSU also is ninth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a 36.5 clip to lead the GSC.
VSU is 27th nationally in free throw percentage at a 76.2 clip to lead the GSC, while it is 16th nationally in rebounding margin at a 7.1 clip to lead the league. The Lady Blazers are second in the GSC and 29th nationally in turnover margin at a 4.31 clip.
Individually, senior Emma Martin is tenth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at a 44.3 clip on 54-of-122 from distance, while she is fifth in the GSC in 3-pointers made per game at a 2.08 clip.
Junior Kalifa Ford is second in the GSC in field goal percentage at a 49.3 clip on 139-of-282 from the field. She is fourth in the GSC in scoring at a 15.2 clip to lead the team. Senior Aleisha Curry is tops in the GSC in free throw percentage at an 86.1 clip for 29th nationally on 87-of-101 from the line.
The Lady Blazers can set a new school record for consecutive victories as they have two regular season home games remaining, beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. at The Complex versus West Alabama for their annual “Play for Kay” Pink Game as all fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game. Then on Saturday, Mar. 2, the regular season concludes with Senior Day at 2 p.m., versus Alabama Huntsville.