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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's basketball team will open up play at the 2013 Raymond James Gulf South Conference Women's Basketball Championships on Friday as the fifth-seeded Lady Chargers will take on No. 4 seed Valdosta State at noon at the Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University in Homewood, Ala.
 
UAH enters the tournament at 12-16, while Valdosta State owns a mark of 16-10.
 
The Lady Chargers are making the program's seventh appearance at the championships, and the team is 2-6 overall in the conference postseason. The two wins came a season ago as the Blue and White advanced to the championship game before finishing as the runner-up to West Alabama.
 
With the event held at Samford, it marks a homecoming for three players who hail from the area including starters Jordan Smith and Shannon Steinert who both played at nearby Hoover High School. Reserve Marisa Tomaszewski also marks her return as she played at Oak Mountain High School.
 
On the season, UAH has played in 13 games that were decided by five points or less including a tough stretch in which the team lost three of four by three points or less in the middle of the year.
 
Two of the close losses have been to Valdosta State – a 54-51 decision in Georgia and a 67-65 setback at home in which the Lady Blazers hit the game-winning shot just before the clock expired.
 
In the two games against the Lady Blazers, GSC Player of the Year Jasmine Hammon and Smith both averaged 14.5 points per contest, while senior Natalie Kelley averaged a double-double in the season series as she notched a scoring average of 11.5 points to go along with a rebounding average of 10.5 boards.
 
Valdosta State was paced in the two games by All-GSC selection Brittney Nelson who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds in the two games against the Lady Chargers.
 
Live stats and video for the contest will be available, and the game will be heard in the Tennessee Valley on 97.7 The Zone.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow the Chargers on Facebook (facebook.com/uahchargers) and on Twitter (@uahchargers), and supporters of the Blue and White may sign up for text and e-mail updates at uahchargers.com.