Men's Basketball RSS Feed

St. Thomas, Florida Memorial Game Notes

2009-11-19

Valdosta State plays a pair of games on back-to-back nights as the Blazers host St. Thomas at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night before playing Florida Memorial at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. VSU enters the game at 1-0 on the season after defeating Carver Bible 122-79 Monday night. St. Thomas is also 1-0 with a 72-70 victory over Lynn while Florida Memorial, which will play Georgai Southwestern on Friday in the P.E. Complex, is 0-3 entering the weekend. Valdosta State scored 122 points in its season opener against Carver Bible, the 10th most points scored in VSU NCAA Division II history. Seven Blazers scored in double figures in that game, led by Christian Hunter with 20. Ricardo Lewis added 19, Billy McShepard 16, Tristan Crawford 15, Ryan Nelson and Marvin Dibble 13 and Tyrone Curnell 11. All 12 players on the roster played and scored in the contest. The Blazers hit 17 threes in the contest against the Cougars, just one shy of the school record of 18 set against Nova Southeastern during the 2006-07 season. Lewis led the way by hitting six-of-eight trifectas. The Blazers also dished out a whopping 31 assists, on 44 baskets, against the Cougars. VSU turned the ball over just 13 times in the game and tallied 12 steals while blocking seven shots, including three by Nelson. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Blow Out Carver 122-79

2009-11-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State hit 17 threes as the Blazers defeated Carver Bible 122-79 in non-conference action in front of 1,791 fans at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. Ricardo Lewis led the Blazers (1-0) with six trifectas, on eight attempts, while Christian Hunter finished with five. Ryan Nelson added three and Tristan Crawford two while James Jackson tallied the final trifecta. Carver (0-5) kept the game close through the first 11 minutes as it trailed just 33-26 after a Joshua Caston jumper, but Valdosta State with a 13-0 run, spurred by five points from Crawford, to build a double digit lead it would not relinquish. VSU continued to build its lead the remainder of the first half, during which it connected on 11 three-pointers, and led by as much as 56-30 with 4:15 to go in the frame before settling for a 63-40 halftime lead. The Blazers shot 59.5 percent from the floor during the frame as they connected on 22-of-37 field goal attempts, including 11-of-19 three-pointers. The Cougars played even with Valdosta State for the first three minutes of the second half before a 25-9 Blazer run put the game out of reach for good. The run culminated with a Marvin Dibble lay-up with 9:34 to go in the contest that gave VSU a 94-57 advantage. Mike Holloway gave the Blazers their largest lead with a lay-up with 53 seconds remaining that pushed the advantage to 122-77 before a pair of Marcus Fulks free throws closed out the scoring. Valdosta State matched its first half numbers as it hit 22-of-37 field goal attempts in the second 20 minutes of play. Seven Blazers scored in double figures in the game, led by Hunter with 20. Lewis tallied 19 and Billy McShepard, who registered five dunks in the game, 16 while Crawford finished with 15. Nelson and Dibble scored 13 each and Tyrone Curnell totaled 11 as all 12 Valdosta State players scored in the game. VSU shot 59.5 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 44-of-74 field goal attempts, including a 51.5 percent clip from beyond the three-point line where it connected on 17-of-33 shots. The Blazers also owned a 46-29 advantage in rebounding, including a game-high eight from McShepard, and dished out 31 assists while turning the ball over just 13 times. Nelson tallied three of the Blazers seven blocks while matching McShepard with a team-best three steals, as the team totaled 12 in the game. Caston led Carver with 19 points while Nicholas Hoods had 18 and Cory Evans 17. The Cougars shot 42.2 percent from the field and recorded 11 steals in the game. The Blazers return to action Friday, November 20 when they host St. Thomas at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Carver Game Notes

2009-11-16

Valdosta State opens one of its most anticipated seasons ever as the Blazers host Carver on Monday, November 16 at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers enter the first game of the season ranked in all four national polls. VSU is ranked fourth by The Sporting News and the Basketball Times, seventh by the NABC Coaches poll and 11th by the Division II Bulletin. The 2009-10 team will be senior laiden as seven out of the 12 players are in their final year of eligibility. The seniors include Ricardo Lewis, Tyrone Curnell, Tristan Crawford, Ryan Nelson, Marvin Dibble, Marquis Robinson and Charles Belton. Valdosta State returns four starters and eight letterwinners off of a squad that went 24-7 and advanced to the NCAA South Regional last season. Three junior college transfers and a freshman join the squad as well this year. The returning players accounted for 81.3 percent of the 2008-09 scoring, 82.7 of its rebounding, 83.4 of its assists, 83.2 of its blocked shots and 84.0 of its steals. Curnell, who earned All-America honors from the NABC last season, earned preseason All-America honors from the Division II Bulletin and the Basketball Times this year. He also earned preseason All-GSC honors, as did Lewis. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers, Lady Blazers to Host Meet the Blazers

2009-10-30

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State boasts two of the best basketball teams in the entire south region, and November 8 will be your chance to come out to Meet the Blazers. After team introductions, there will be a basketball clinic where the kids can learn from their favorite players themselves. After the fun and prizes, there will be snacks and opportunities to get Blazer and Lady Blazer signatures on posters and team pictures. Meet the Blazers will start at 2 p.m. and last until approximately 4 p.m. To get through registration more quickly, children can download the waiver form ahead of time and have it in hand at the event. Don't miss out on your last opportunity to see the Blazers and Lady Blazer basketball teams up close before the season begins!

Blazers Picked to Win GSC

2009-10-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Gulf South Conference championship, according to a vote by the league coaches, as announced by the GSC Office on Thursday. The Blazers learned of their preseason expectations as they took to the practice floor for the first time in the 2009-10 season Thursday. "The preseason polls are based on what you did last year, who you have coming back and how you did recruiting," said head coach Mike Helfer on learning of the his team's preseason ranking. "This tells us that the coaches in our league have great respect for our team, but beyond that it doesn't mean a whole lot. What matters is where you are ranked at the end of the year and that will be our focus." VSU was the unanimous choice to defend its Gulf South Conference East Division crown, earning five of the six first place votes. Helfer, who was not permitted to vote for his own team in the preseason poll, was the only coach not to vote for the Blazers to win the East Division. The GSC preseason favorite label is just one of several preseason accolades for Valdosta State, who was picked as the preseason No. 4 team in the nation by Sporting News and No. 11 by D2Basketball.com. On the individual level, Tyrone Curnell, who earned preseason All-America honors from the Sporting News after earning the honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches last year, was also selected to repeat as a first team All-GSC performer. He was joined on the preseason All-GSC team by Ricardo Lewis, who earned second-team All-GSC last season. "At this time of the year, everyone is excited," Helfer concluded. "Everyone is tired of preseason conditioning and is just ready to get out on the court and practice. We have a lot of experience back and our seven seniors have provided good leadership thus far in the preseason. However, everything is different now and we have to pick it up a little bit. We have to work on our chemistry and on getting better as a team for the season ahead." Valdosta State returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, off of a team that went 24-7 last year while advancing to the NCAA South Regional Tournament. The returning players accounted for 81.3 percent of VSU's scoring in 2008-09 (1,949 of 2,398 points), as well as 82.7 percent of the team's rebounding (996 of 1,204), 83.2 percent of its blocks (94 of 113), 83.4 percent of its assists (377 of 452) and 84.0 percent of its steals (200 of 238) on the year. The returners will be joined by six talented newcomers, led by 6'10 Billy McShephard who will vie for the starting position at the small forward position. McShephard averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds a game last season for Louisburg (N.C.) Community College. Valdosta State tips off its 2009-10 season Monday, November 16 when it hosts Carver Bible at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Men's Basketball Schedule Announced

2009-10-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Games against Delta State, Augusta State and Tampa highlight the 2009-10 Valdosta State men's basketball schedule, announced by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Friday. The Blazers open the 2009-10 season at home against Carver Bible on Monday, November 16 before also playing St. Thomas and Florida Memorial in the P.E. Complex on November 20 and 21, respectively. The remainder of the November schedule includes road games at Fort Valley State November 24 and Clayton State November 28 as well as a home contest against Georgia Southwestern November 30. The December portion of the schedule is heavily laden with home games as the Blazers begin the month with contests December 4 and 5 against Saint Leo and Palm Beach Atlantic in The Loop Pizza Grill Classic while hosting Columbus State December 7. After a road game at Tampa December 12, the Blazers return to the P.E. Complex on the 15th to face Delta State. VSU closes out the month with three straight road contest, including games against Lynn and Barry in the Pepsi Doubletree Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. December 20 and 21 as well as a New Years Eve game at Albany State. The remainder of the non-conference schedule includes an away contest at Lambuth January 9 as well as home games against Augusta State January 16 and Lambuth February 6. "I think this is one of the most challenging schedules we have had at Valdosta State since I arrived," said Helfer in making the announcement. "Our non-conference games and our crossover game versus Delta State will surely get us prepared for the always tough Gulf South Conference." Valdosta State will begin defense of its 2007-08 GSC East Division crown on January 7 when the Blazers visit North Alabama. The remainder of January includes conference home contests against West Florida January 13, West Alabama January 16 and Alabama-Huntsville January 23 as well as a league game on the road at West Georgia January 30. February concludes the regular season with home contests versus North Alabama on the 4th and West Georgia on the 27th while the Blazers visit West Florida February 10, West Alabama February 18 and Alabama-Huntsville February 20. The GSC Tournament, which will once again be played in Southaven, Miss., will be held March 3-7 while NCAA South Regional play is scheduled for March 13-16. Valdosta State returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, off of its 2008-09 team that compiled a 24-7 record while advancing to the GSC Tournament championship game and the NCAA South Regional Tournament.

Basketball Adds to 2009-10 Squad

2009-09-02

VALDOSTA, Ga. - James Jackson has joined the Valdosta State men's basketball team, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Wednesday. Jackson comes to VSU from Truett-McConnell College, where he played for coach Cory Baldwin. The 5'11 Jackson averaged 12.7 points and 4.4 assists per game for the Bears in 2008-09 while also pulling down 2.2 rebounds per outing. He finished the season second on the TCC squad with 41 steals. "James has all of the tools to be a great player here," said Helfer in making the announcement. "He has that competitive nature that will push him to even higher levels as a player in our system. "James is a point guard who can also score and create his own shot. He comes from a great junior college program and will be prepared to contribute to our team immediately." Jackson is the second former TCC player to sign with the Blazers this season, joining center Josh Williams. The Blazers return four starters and nine letterwinners off of a team that compiled a 24-7 record and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2008-09.

Gast Promoted to Associate Head Coach

2009-08-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State assistant men's basketball coach Nick Gast has been promoted to associate head coach, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Tuesday. Gast is entering his third season on the Valdosta State staff, having helped the Blazer squad to a 42-19 mark during his first two years. He has been instrumental in the VSU recruiting efforts during his two seasons while also coaching the Valdosta State post players. His tutelage was instrumental in forward Tyrone Curnell earning All-America honors in 2009 while he also coached Devario Hudson to All-Region recognition during the 2007-08 season. "Nick has been a tremendous asset to my coaching staff," said Helfer in making the announcement. "He represents Valdosta State and our athletic department as well as anyone due to his playing experience here and his coaching experience overall." Gast came to Valdosta State from Southeastern Louisiana, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. He also served as the head boy's basketball coach at Clinch County High for one season and was a graduate assistant under for Blazer head coach Jim Yarborough for two years. Gast was a four-year starter for the Blazers and was named to the All-Gulf South Conference team in 2001 and 2002. He finished his career with 1,094 points and starred in the classroom as he was named to the GSC All-Academic team in 2002. "I honestly believe Nick is one of the top assistants in all of Division II," Helfer concluded. "I'm happy to give him this promotion as it directly reflects his value to our program."

Blazers Add Second Signee

2009-06-01

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Josh Williams, a 6-foot-9 center, has signed a national letter-of-intent to play with the Valdosta State men's basketball program in the 2009-10 season, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Monday. Williams joins the Blazers from Truett-McConnell Junior College after leading Bears to a 16-14 record in 2008-09. Williams averaged 8.6 points a game as he connected on 96-of-180 field goal attempts, a 53.3 percent success rate. He also shot 77.3 percent from the free throw line, where he made 58-fo-75 attempts. Williams led TMC with 7.4 rebounds on the season and blocked 68 shots while appearing in 29 of the Bears' 30 contest. "Josh brings a big physical presence for us in the paint," said Helfer in making the announcement. "He is very skilled on the block offensively and is an excellent shot blocker. We are pleased that he will be joining our program in the fall." Williams joins Billy McShephard as members of the 2009 signing class for Helfer. The Blazers return four starters and nine letterwinners off of a team that compiled a 24-7 record and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2008-09.

Blazers Sign Billy McShephard

2009-05-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Billy McShephard, a 6'11 forward from Bertie, N.C., has signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball for Valdosta State, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Saturday. The highly touted McShephard comes to VSU from Louisburg College in Louisburg, N.C. where he played for head coach John Meeks last season. McShephard averaged 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 2008-09 while leading the Hurricanes to a 22-7 record on the year. The 220-pound McShephard 54.4 percent from the field on the season as he connected on 99 of 182 field goal attempts, including 21-of-57 three pointers (36.8 percent). He also tallied 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. "Billy is a very talented player that can play multiple positions," said Helfer. "His height is a great advantage, but really his skill level is what impressed us the most. We are excited about bringing in a quality young man who will represent us well both on and off the court. Valdosta State returns four starters and 10 letterwinners off of a team that went 24-7 and advanced to the NCAA South Region in 2008-09.

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Valdosta State repeated as the Gulf South Conference All-Sports Champions. West Florida took the women's award while the Blazers claimed the men's spot. Both teams were the first to repeat since Jacksonville State in 1992-93. Valdosta State is the first men's team to repeat since North Alabama in 1994-96. The Blazers are only the sixth men's team to repeat since the inception of the award. This marks VSU's sixth time to win the award. The red and black finished with 60 points while Harding came in second with 50. No other team broke the 50-point barrier. Men's tennis won the Gulf South Conference Championship to help the Blazers earn the award while basketball and baseball both finished second in the GSC. Football was third while golf finished fourth. The Lady Blazers finished fifth in the running for the All-Sports award.

Curnell Earns All-America Honors

2009-03-31

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State junior Tyrone Curnell has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches State Farm Division II All-America Team according to announcements made by the organization this week. Curnell led VSU in both scoring and rebounding during the 2008-09 season as he averaged 14.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He shot 50.5 percent from the floor as he connected on 168 of 333 field goal attempts while also shooting 73.2 percent from the free throw line, where he made 101-of-138 attempts. Curnell finished the year second on the Blazer squad in assists with 62 and led the team with 39 blocked shots and 60 steals.

Cunell Earns All-Region Honors

2009-03-24

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State junior Tyrone Curnell has been named to the Daktronics All-South Region and the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-South Region teams according to announcements made by both organizations this week. Curnell led VSU in both scoring and rebounding during the 2008-09 season as he averaged 14.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He shot 50.5 percent from the floor as he connected on 168 of 333 field goal attempts while also shooting 73.2 percent from the free throw line, where he made 101-of-138 attempts. Curnell finished the year second on the Blazer squad in assists with 62 and led the team with 39 blocked shots and 60 steals. Curnell is the second Blazer in as many years to earn All-Region distinctions by the NABC, joining Devario Hudson who earned the honor last year.

Blazers Fall 54-50 to Claflin

2009-03-14

LAKELAND, Fla. - Claflin fended off two Valdosta State advances in the final 30 seconds of the game to defeat the Blazers 54-50 in the first round of the NCAA South Region Tournament Saturday afternoon at Jenkins Fieldhouse. The Blazers (24-7) trailed 52-50 with 40 seconds to go and had possession of the ball, but saw the ball go off the foot of Christian Hunter and out of bounds. The VSU defense forced the Panthers (25-3) to call a timeout on the ensuing in-bounds pass and, after the timeout, created a turnover to regain possession with 26 seconds remaining. Tyrone Curnell was fouled, but missed the front end of the one-and-one allowing Claflin to gain the rebound. Valdosta State immediately fouled and Phillip Brown missed the first free throw, but Curnell lost his footing as he came down with the rebound and was forced to throw the ball up to avoid the turnover. Claflin regained possession and Brown was again fouled. He hit both free throws to seal the victory. The game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes as neither team led by more than six in the contest. The CU defense held VSU without a basket for the first 7:11 of the game as the Panthers built a 7-2 advantage. Valdosta State responded with a 7-1 run of its own to grab its first lead at 9-8 and led by as much as 22-16 on a Tristan Crawford three pointer with 2:32 to go in the half. Claflin fought back and eventually tied the game at 25-25 at the intermission. The first four minutes of the second half saw three ties and four lead changes before VSU used an 11-5 run to build a 42-37 advantage with 10:40 to go in the contest. The Panthers scored the next seven points of the game and held the Blazers without a point for the next 6:39 of the game. An Eric Salley three pushed the CU lead to 52-48 with 1:52 to go, but Marvin Dibble tallied a put-back bucket for Valdosta State to set up the final 40 seconds of the game. Crawford was the only Blazer to score in double figures as he finished with 17 points. The Blazers shot 40.4 percent from the floor in the game, but committed 16 turnovers and connected on just seven-of-12 free throw attempts. Ernest Sinkfield scored 15 to lead Claflin, which shot 37.2 percent from the floor in the game. CU, which entered the game shooting 64.4 percent from the free throw line, connected on 14-of-17 in the contest.

Valdosta State in Good Company

2009-03-11

VALDOSTA, Ga. - As the Valdosta State basketball teams each travel to the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament, the Blazers and Lady Blazers make Valdosta State one of just 24 schools to place both the men's and women's basketball teams in the national tournament. Valdosta State and Delta State are the only universities with both teams in the tournament from the South region. The Blazers beat Delta State at the Gulf South Conference tournament this past weekend while the Lady Blazers took the Lady Statesmen to overtime before falling by two points in the end. The Lady Blazers will get the opportunity to knock Delta State out as both teams face each other in the first round of the regional tournament. The teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Cleveland, Miss. For complete information on the women's regional tournament, click here. The Blazers will face Claflin in the first round at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Lakeland, Fla. For complete information on the men's regional tournament, click here.

Basketball Teams Make NCAA Regionals

2009-03-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Both Valdosta State basketball teams earned at-large bids to the NCAA South Regionals according to an announcement made by the NCAA Sunday evening. The VSU men's team will travel to Lakeland, Fla. where it will be the No. 6 seed in the 2009 NCAA Men's South Regional Tournament. The Blazers will play No. 3 Claflin, out of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, on Saturday, March 14. Game time for the contest has yet to be determined. The remainder of the men's bracket includes No. 1 seed and host Florida Southern, the Sunshine State Conference winner, facing No. 8 LeMoyne-Owen, the SIAC conference champion, while No. 4 Arkansas Tech, the GSC champion, will face No. 5 Benedict, out of the SIAC. The VSU side of the bracket also includes No. 2 Christian Brothers and No. 7 Delta State, both of whom are out of the GSC. For the second straight season, the Lady Blazers travel to Cleveland, Miss. where they will be the No. 8 seed and will face GSC champion and No. 1 seed Delta State at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6. The winner of that game will face the winner between No. 4 Rollins, out of the SSC, and No. 5 Arkansas-Monticello. The remainder of the bracket includes No. 2 Fort Valley State, the SIAC champion, and No. 7 Ouachita Baptist as well as No. 3 Tampa, the SSC champion, and No. 6 Clark Atlanta. All of the Valdosta State games for both the men's and women's tournament will be broadcast live on Talk 92.1 and webstreamed live over the internet at www.talk921.com, barring a conflict arising from the two teams playing at the same time.

Blazers Advance to GSC Finals

2009-03-08

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Valdosta State used a balanced effort to put away Delta State in the most lopsided game in the Gulf South Conference semifinals Saturday. With six players scoring eight points or more, VSU beat the Statesmen, 78-61, to face Arkansas Tech in the GSC finals at 3:45 p.m. Sunday. Delta State never led in a game that the Blazers shot 50 percent. David Clark led the Statesmen in scoring with 16 points while Arian Maliqi brought down 12 boards. Tyrone Curnell led Valdosta State with 18 points and seven rebounds. The VSU floor general, Ricardo Lewis, put in 15 and Christian Hunter finished with 10 points. The biggest advantage for VSU was the ability to get up and down the floor. Valdosta State's defense forced 12 DSU turnovers and scored 16 points off the turnovers, but the fast break points were in VSU's favor, 10-2. In the first half Valdosta State used a series of mini runs to build up the lead. With 12:43 left Delta State pulled within three points, 12-9. Then VSU went on an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 20-11. After the Statesmen scored again, the Blazers went on an 11-3 run to make it 31-16 with just less than six minutes left in the half. The last basket of the half came on a well-executed play from Valdosta State that set up Hunter with a three-pointer from the corner. He buried it to take a 39-24 lead into the break. In the first half, David Clark was the toughest Statesmen for the Blazers to guard. He scored 10 in the first half to lead all scorers. Meanwhile, VSU's scoring was more balanced. Curnell led all Blazers with eight, but three had six points and two scored five in the half. The Blazers looked like a more cohesive unit with two times the assists than Delta State, 10-5. Those assists led to a strong shooting half. VSU shot 51.9 percent from the field with 18 points in the paint in the first half. Nearly halfway through the second half, the teams had merely traded baskets. With 11:08 left the half was 14-14 for a score of 53-38 in favor of VSU. However, Delta State started an 8-0 run before a made free throw from Lewis stopped the run at 54-44 with VSU leading. Sparked by a ferocious block from Curnell on the defensive end, the Blazers went on an 8-0 run themselves to make it 65-48 with four minutes left to play. It would prove to be too much for Delta State as Valdosta State milked the clock the rest of the game with a spread out offense. The Blazers will face Arkansas Tech in the finals at 3:45 p.m. Sunday.

Valdosta State Falls in Finals

2009-03-08

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - In Valdosta State's third appearance ever in the Gulf South Conference championship game, the Blazers could not outdo Arkansas Tech. Renard Allen, the tournament's most outstanding player, finished with 25 points to lead the Wonder Boys past VSU, 79-66. Tyrone Curnell, an All-GSC tournament selection, was the only Blazer to score in double digits with 12 while Ray Cummings led the team in rebounds with eight. Arkansas Tech had five players reach double figures. Valdosta State's biggest problem in the game came in the paint. The Wonder Boys scored 44 points in the paint to VSU's 18. ATU shot 49.2 percent from the field, 60.9 percent in the second half, while the Blazers shot 31.7 percent. Those two factors proved to be the most important in the game. Early in the first half, Ricardo Lewis, another All-GSC tournament selection, found himself on the bench due to two quick fouls. But Tristan Crawford immediately made up for the loss with a three-point play. He drove strong down the right side to draw a foul and make the lay up. Later, Marquis Robinson put together a strong series for the Blazers. Upon entering the game he altered a Wonder Boy shot and ran the court for a fast break lay up to earn a 19-13 lead with 8:38 left in the half. Two possessions later he drew an Arkansas Tech foul. Arkansas Tech worked its way back into the game and, with an Irvin Humphrey lay up, tied the game at 21 with just under six minutes left in the first frame. De'Andre Johnson answered for Valdosta State with a five unanswered points. First he hit a tough runner in the lane and followed that with a deep three-pointer on the ensuing possession. With 37 seconds left in the half Arkansas Tech's Dusan Radivojevic hit a three from the corner to take the lead for the Wonder Boys, 35-33. That would be the lead ATU would take to the locker room at halftime. Renard Allen led the Wonder Boys in scoring with 12 points at halftime while Humphrey led the team in rebounds with five. For VSU, it was Johnson leading the way with eight points. Three Blazers had five rebounds at the half to help Valdosta State hold a slight rebounding edge over Arkansas Tech. The Wonder Boys came out of the half with a 6-0 run before Lewis hit a free throw for VSU's first point of the second half. Shortly after Allen finished a strong dunk for a 43-35 ATU lead. After free throws from Marvin Dibble, the Wonder Boys went on an 11-0 run for a 54-37 lead. Valdosta State finally broke the streak with two Anderson free throws. With 10:05 left to play, Christian Hunter knocked down the first field goal for the Blazers since 2:38 left in the first half. The basket made it 57-43 in favor of Arkansas Tech. Curnell made two consecutive three-pointers to give VSU hope. His shots closed the gap to 61-49 with 7:42 left in the game. Dibble came back later to make a tough three-point play in the lane. Falling to the ground, he was able to get the shot to roll in and he followed it up with the free three throw to make it 65-54 with 6:17 left. Crawford entered the game for Curnell after he was called for his fifth foul. Immediately, Crawford knocked down a three-pointer for a 69-57 score. For the next few possessions, VSU could neither stop the Wonder Boys or beat them on the glass. Once it turned into a battle of free throws, Arkansas Tech took control. The Blazers' performance in the tournament still solidified their bid for a regional appearance. More information on the NCAA Regional tournament to come Monday.

Blazers Burn the Boll Weevils

2009-03-06

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Valdosta State used a 50 percent shooting percentage, strong defense and a balanced scoring performance to send Arkansas-Monticello home from the Gulf South Conference tournament. Led by 13 points from Ricardo Lewis and Tristan Crawford, the Blazers put away the UAM Boll Weevils, 66-53, to move on to face either Delta State or Alabama-Huntsville. Valdosta State's Ray Cummings and company played strong team defense to hold UAM's top scorer, Raymond Wright, scoreless with just four rebounds. Wright averages 18 points and eight boards on the year, but VSU aggravated him to the point of four fouls and three turnovers. Arkansas-Monticello had no answer for VSU on the other end of the court. The Blazers shot 50 percent overall as well as long range with two treys each for Lewis and Christian Hunter. Valdosta State was able to shoot a strong percentage because more than half the team's points came in the paint. VSU finished with 34 points in the paint to UAM's 18. Lewis passed out six assists while Marvin Dibble brought down 11 boards. Tyrone Curnell and Hunter were the other double digit scorers for VSU with 12 and 10 points respectively. For most of the first half Valdosta State and Arkansas-Monticello just traded baskets. The Blazers, however, were able to score the final five points of the half to take a 32-27 lead into the break. Lewis was the most consistent Blazer in the first 20 minutes, scoring nine points and handing out three assists. He did not miss a field goal or a free throw in the half. He also threw an assist to a high-flying Curnell who finished the alley-oop for the only dunk of the half. Lewis, Curnell and the rest shot an impressive 52.2 percent from the field in the half with 18 points coming from the paint. The player that hurt VSU the most in the half was Derek Easter, averaging only 6.8 points per game this season. He was three for seven from long range to lead the Boll Weevils at the half with nine points. The Blazers shut him down in the second half and he only finished with 11 points. Arkansas-Monticello did not score until five minutes into the second half. Meanwhile, Valdosta State put in seven points, four from Curnell, to extend the lead to 42-27 with 15 minutes left to play. After UAM's Deron Brown hit a three-pointer, the Blazers went on a 6-0 run to claim a 51-35 lead and force an Arkansas-Monticello timeout with 9:40 left in the game. The Blazers scored their 52nd point on a free throw by Hunter but would not score again until Crawford made a driving lay-up with 4:44 left. In that time, UAM's Brown continued to spark the Boll Weevils. He hit a deep three-pointer and made an acrobatic scoop shot in the lane to close the gap to 52-47 with just over five minutes to play. Hunter dropped a three from the corner, but UAM would score five points before Dibble made a lay-up to make it 59-52. After a Boll Weevil free throw, Hunter made a driving lay-up down the left side with a foul. He made the free throw for a 62-53 VSU lead with 1:45 left in the game. From there, UAM was forced to foul. Valdosta State refused to give up the game and went on to claim the team's first win of the GSC tournament. The Blazers will face either Delta State or Alabama-Huntsville. Both teams play each other at 7:30 tonight. The winner draws VSU at 7:30 Saturday night.

GSC Tournament Game Notes

2009-03-03

Valdosta State opens play in the 2009 Gulf South Conference Tournament as the Blazers play the winner of Wednesday's Montevallo versus Arkansas-Monticello opening round game. The Blazers enter the tournament with a 22-5 record, including a 9-3 mark in league play, and are the GSC East Division's No. 1 seed. Arkansas-Monticello is 19-8 on the year, including 8-6 in GSC play, and is the West's No. 4 seed while Montevallo is 15-15 and 5-7 and the No. 5 seed out of the East. VSU is 8-14 all-time in the GSC Tournament. The Blazers have advanced to the tournament finals on two occasions, with the last coming in the 2002 tournament when they fell to West Georgia. Valdosta State has never played Arkansas-Monticello in the GSC Tournament while it has matched up against Montevallo in tournament play just once, a 55-52 Falcon win in the semifinals in the 2004 event. The 2009 tournament marks the sixth straight year the Blazers have qualified for the Gulf South Conference Championships. Only four current Blazers have previously played in the GSC Tournament. Artis Young has played in four games while Ray Cummings, Tristan Crawford and Anthony Passmore played in both contests a year ago. Click for Complete Game Notes

Two Blazers Named All-GSC

2009-03-02

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Two Valdosta State Blazers were named to the All-Gulf South Conference East Division Team, as voted on by the league coaches, Monday, according to an announcement made by the league offices. Junior forward Tyrone Curnell was named to the East's first team after averaging a team-high 15.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Curnell was named the East's Player of the Week three times during the season and was the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in the league stats in scoring (8th), rebounding (2nd), steals (2nd / 2.0) and blocked shots (8th / 1.3). He tallied 10 double-doubles on the season and led VSU in scoring 10 times and in rebounding on 15 occasions. Curnell also led Valdosta State in blocked shots, with 36, and steals, with 53, and was second in assists, with 59. Junior guard Ricardo Lewis earned second team honors after averaging 10.9 points a game during the regular season. Lewis led the Blazers with 76 assists and ranked third on the team in steals with 24. Blazer head coach Mike Helfer was also named the Gulf South Conference East Division Coach of the Year after leading the Blazers to their first East Division crown since the 2003-04 season. Helfer's squad was picked to finish third in the East during the preseason, but compiled a 9-3 record to edge North Alabama, the preseason favorite, by a game. The Blazers continue their 2008-09 season Friday, March 6 when they open the GSC Tournament in Southaven, Miss. Valdosta State enters the tournament as the East's No. 1 seed and will face the winner of Wednesday's Montevallo vs. Arkansas-Monticello game.

Valdosta State Wins GSC East Title

2009-02-28

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Valdosta State claimed the team's third Gulf South Conference East title in 27 years of GSC action and a 22-5 overall record with a 77-65 win over West Florida Saturday. The win helps VSU finish 9-3 in conference action. Marvin Dibble led Valdosta State with a double-double. He finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. The other double digit scorers were Tyrone Curnell with 18 and Tristan Crawford with 12. Christian Hunter passed out five assists. For West Florida Josh Jackson finished with 14 points while Kenny Holmes scored 13 points and brought down eight boards. Ryan Henry scored 11. With the game tied at nine, Crawford made a block on the defensive end, and hit a three-pointer on the other end of the court. With that, Valdosta State went on an 8-2 run, but West Florida came back to take the lead, 19-17, with 12:22 left in the first half. Dibble had 10 points and four rebounds by the first half media timeout. He finished

Curnell Named GSC Player of the Week

2009-02-25

VALDOSTA, Ga. - For the third time in the 2008-09 season, Valdosta State junior forward Tyrone Curnell has been named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week, according to an announcement made by the league office on Wednesday. Curnell averaged 21.3 points a game while leading VSU to three victories last week. He began the week by scoring career-high 31 points while also registering eight rebounds and six blocked shots in the Blazers' 83-76 double overtime victory over West Alabama on Thursday. He followed by scoring a team-high 18 points in a 74-64 win over Montevallo on Saturday before scoring 15 points against Flagler Tuesday evening. Curnell shot 56.8 percent from the field on the week as he hit 21-of-37 field goal attempts, including three-of-seven three-pointers (42.9 percent). He also shot 73.1 percent from the free throw line (19-of-26) and averaged 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and 0.7 steals in 29.3 minutes of play. Curnell and the Blazers close out the 2008-09 regular season when they play at West Florida on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. With a victory in the game, Valdosta State will claim its first Gulf South Conference East Division title since the 2003-04 season and will enter next week's GSC Tournament as the East's No. 1 seed.

Blazers Scorch Flagler 104-61

2009-02-24

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Christian Hunter hit five-of-nine three pointers and scored 19 points to lead Valdosta State to a 104-61 victory over Flagler Tuesday evening at the P.E. Complex. Hunter was one of six Blazers to score in double figures as Tyrone Curnell added 15, Tristan Crawford 13 and Marvin Dibble 11 while Ray Cummings and Marquis Robinson finished with 10 apiece. Curnell, Crawford, Dibble and Robinson all came off the bench in the game, providing VSU (21-5) with a 58-14 advantage in bench scoring in the game. The Blazers never trailed as they scored nine of the first 11 points of the game. After a timeout, Flagler (12-14) used a brief 7-0 run to even the game at 9-9, but VSU responded with 25-11 spurt to grab the lead for good. Seven different Blazers contributed during the game's deciding run, led by Curnell, who scored all five of his first half points during the eight minute span that ended with Valdosta State leading 34-20 with 7:37 to go in the contest. The Saints fought back over the ensuing three minutes as they scored 10 straight points to close to within 34-30. Adam Dixon began the Saint spurt with a three-point play and later added a lay-up while Kenny Moore closed it out with a basket. The Blazer lead got no lower as VSU built a 42-34 halftime advantage. Valdosta State wasted little time getting its edge back to double digits in the second half as Hunter hit a pair of three pointers in the first 78 seconds of the frame to put the Blazer lead above 10 for good. VSU's advantage reached 20 five and a half minutes later and dropped no lower than 19 the rest of the game. VSU shot 54.1 percent from the floor in the game, including 60.0 percent in the second half, during which it connected on 24-of-40 field goal attempts. The Blazers also hit 11-of-24 threes and 13-of-14 free throws. Valdosta State owned a 53-23 advantage in rebounding, including a game-high 10 from Crawford, who registered his third career double-double. VSU also dished out 22 assists, against just 13 turnovers, and tallied eight steals. D.J. Ferguson was the only Saint to score in double figures, finishing with 15. FC shot 36.7 percent from the floor and tallied 11 steals, but was hampered 15 turnovers. Valdosta State ends its 2008-09 regular season when it travels to West Florida on Saturday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m.

Blazers Top Montevallo 74-64

2009-02-21

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State build a 15-point first half lead before coasting to a 74-64 victory over Montevallo in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. VSU (20-5, 8-3) shot just 41.2 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes of play, but hit seven three-pointers and held the Falcons (14-14, 5-6) to just 30.8 percent from the field during the span to build a 39-24 advantage at the intermission. UM's only lead of the game came at the 14:14 mark as it built an 8-7 advantage, but the Blazers responded with 10 of the next 12 points to build an advantage it would not relinquish. Tyrone Curnell began the run with a three-pointer before Nate Flowers evened the game with a jumper. Artis Young put Valdosta State ahead for good with a tip-in and Tristan Crawford added a jumper before De'Andre Johnson closed out run with a three-pointer with 11:38 to go in the frame. Montevallo closed to within five over the ensuing two and a half minutes only to have VSU respond with a nine of 11 points to build a double-digit lead. Johnson closed out the first half scoring with his second three-pointer to give the Blazers their largest lead of the frame. Valdosta State connected on 14-of-34 first half field goals while holding the Falcons to just eight field goals, on 26 chances. The Blazer lead never dipped below double digits in the second half as it grew to as much as 19, a 74-55 with 3:55 to go, while only falling to 10 on a Flowers lay-up with three seconds remaining. Both teams picked up their shooting performances in the frame, with VSU hitting 13-of-24 field goal attempts for a 54.2 percent showing while the Falcons shot 48.1 percent while hitting 13-of-27 shots. Curnell led the Blazers with 18 points while Ray Cummings, Christian Hunter and Crawford all finished with 10 in the contest. Valdosta State shot 46.6 percent from the floor as it hit 27-of-58 field goal attempts and dished out 18 assists. The Blazers owned a 40-32 advantage in rebounding and blocked seven shots in the game. Flowers led all scorers with 23 points while also pulling down 10 rebounds. Terrill Humphrey was the only other Falcon in double figures, finishing with 12, as UM shot 39.6 percent from the floor in the contest. With the victory, Valdosta State has assured itself of being no lower than the No. 2 seed in the Gulf South Conference Tournament, which will be held March 4-8 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss. The Blazers have also assured themselves of at least a share of the GSC East Division title and can win the title out-right with a loss by both Alabama-Huntsville and North Alabama, or a VSU victory at West Florida next Saturday. The Blazers return to action Tuesday, February 24 when they host Flagler in non-conference action. The VSU seniors will be honored prior to the game, which is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. A VSU fan will be randomly selected at halftime of the game to attempt a halfcourt shot for $10,000

Blazers Win 83-76 in Double Overtime

2009-02-19

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State out-scored West Alabama 10-3 in the second overtime period as the Blazers defeated the Tigers 83-76 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Thursday night. With the victory Valdosta State secures a spot in the 2009 Gulf South Conference Tournament, which will be held at the Southaven Civic Center in Southaven, Miss. March 4-8. VSU (19-5, 7-3) never trailed in the final five minutes of play as it scored the first seven points of the frame. Ray Cummings opened the scoring in the half with a tip-in before Tyrone Curnell hit three free throws. Tristan Crawford added a lay-up and, after a pair of Jason Swanson free throws for UWA (11-14, 3-7), fed Curnell for a dunk to seal the victory. The Tigers led for most of the first half as they used a 17-7 run early in the game to build a 21-11 lead with 10:07 to go in the half. VSU fought back over the remainder of the half and closed to within 33-31 at the intermission. West Alabama stretched its lead to as high as 44-36 with 15:38 remaining in the game before the Valdosta State offense came alive. Sparked by Artis Young, who scored all of his career-high 10 points during the run, VSU scored 24 of the next 26 points of the game to build its largest lead at 60-46. Young began the run with a jumper off the bench before feeding Curnell for a three from the left corner. The senior guard recorded a steal on the ensuing UWA possession and rebounded a Curnell miss to set up a pair of free throws by Crawford. Ricardo Lewis gave Valdosta State its first lead with a basket with 12:40 to go in the contest and followed with a three-point play before Curnell hit two free throws. Young added three of the next four baskets for VSU before Swanson hit a tip-in for West Alabama while Young closed out the run with a soaring tip-in over two West Alabama players to post the Blazers to a 14-point advantage with 7:41 to go in the contest. UWA fought back over the remaining minutes and out-scored VSU 17-3 to eventually tie the game at 63-63. Valdosta State regained a three-point advantage in the closing minutes, only to have Brandon Hampton even the game at 67-67 with a tip-in with nine seconds to go. Valdosta State held the ball for the last shot and appeared to win the game on a Lewis basket with five-tenths of a second to go, but the Blazer bench was called for a technical after several players ran onto the court. Jamaine Nance promptly hit two free throws to force the first overtime period. Valdosta State led by as much as three in the first extra frame, but saw Lewis miss a shot with three seconds to go in the frame, setting up the second overtime. Curnell led all scorers with a career-high 31 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking six Tiger shots. Lewis added 12 points for Valdosta State while Cummings, Crawford and Young all tallied 10. VSU shot 49.2 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 29-of-59 field goal attempts and was also successful on 21-of-29 free throw attempts, including 13-of-15 from Curnell. Swanson led UWA with 27 points while Chris Davis added 16 and Jonathan Griffin 12. Hampton pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to help West Alabama to a 36-32 advantage in rebounding. The Tigers hit 26-of-57 field goal attempts for a 45.6 percent performance from the field. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m. when it hosts the Falcons of Montevallo. The game will be a part of VSU%u2019s Hall of Fame Weekend activities as the five members of the 2009 VSU Athletics Hall of Fame will be honored at halftime of the contest.

West Alabama Game Notes

2009-02-19

Valdosta State returns to action after a seven day break as the Blazers host West Alabama in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers enter the game with a 18-5 record, including a 6-3 mark in GSC action after defeating Alabama-Huntsville last Thursday. UWA is 11-13 on the season and 3-6 in league action. VSU has won 31 of the previous 54 meetings between the two schools, including each of the last five and 12 of the last 13 overall. Head coach Mike Helfer has tallied a 6-1 record against the Tigers in his three-plus seasons with VSU, his best record against any GSC squad. Helfer has led Valdosta State to victory in all three games he has coached against UWA in the P.E. Complex. Valdosta State is closing in on its all-time record for average home attendance. Through its first 15 home games, VSU has tallied 17,362 fans, an average of 1,157 per game. The all-time mark for the Blazers is 1,179 fans, set during the 1992-93 season. To set the new record, VSU needs to average 1,287 fans a game over its final three contests. The Blazers re-entered the NCAA Division II South Region rankings this week as Valdosta State is currently ranked No. 10 in the region. VSU is one of six Gulf South Conference teams in the rankings. Click for Complete Game Notes

Alabama-Huntsville Game Notes

2009-02-12

Valdosta State looks to avenge an early season loss to Alabama-Huntsville as the Blazers host the Chargers in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers enter the game with a 17-5 record, including a 5-3 mark in GSC action after defeating West Georgia on last Saturday. UAH is 15-7 on the season and 6-2 in league action. The Chargers handed VSU its third loss of the season on January 10 when they claimed an 84-66 victory in Spragins Hall in Huntsville, the first GSC action of the year for both clubs. The Blazers won their second buzzer beater of the 2008-09 season against West Georgia last Saturday when Ricardo Lewis hit a jumper in the lane with six seconds to go to propel Valdosta State to a 61-60 victory. Head coach Mike Helfer has tallied a 3-4 record against the Chargers in his three-plus seasons with VSU. Two of VSU's victories during that time have come in the P.E. Complex, as has one of the losses. Four of Valdosta State's final five regular season games of the year will be played on the Blazers' home court. VSU has gone 13-1 at home this year, with its only loss coming to then No. 2 Florida Southern, a 67-65 defeat in November. Overall, the Blazers have won 10 straight games at home. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Burn Chargers 81-63

2009-02-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State shot 69.6 percent from the field during the second half of play to defeat Alabama-Huntsville 81-63 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Thursday evening. The Blazers (18-5, 6-3) trailed 36-33 at the half, but connected on 16-of-23 field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes of play. Meanwhile, the Chargers (15-8, 6-3), who shot 53.8 percent in the first half, were limited to just eight-of-30 (30.8 percent) from the field in the second half as they were outscored 48-27 in the frame. VSU used an early 20-7 run in the second half to grab control of the game. Valdosta State connected on nine-of-10 shots during the spurt, including its last eight. With the Blazers trailing 40-39, Ryan Nelson started the run with a lay-up before Marvin Dibble hit one of two free throws. After Christian Hunter missed a three, Tristan Crawford, who scored nine of the 20 points during the run, connected on a fast break lay-up, but Jordan Brewer pulled UAH back to within one with a three-point play. Crawford answered with a jumper and Ricardo Lewis added three straight baskets for VSU to push the advantage to nine points. After a Brewer free throw, Crawford added a jumper and a three-pointer while Tyrone Curnell finished out the run with a jumper from the right wing to give VSU a 59-47 lead with 9:40 to go in the contest. Alabama-Huntsville got back to within six points, on a Kael Coleman three with 7:27 remaining in the game, but VSU responded by hitting four of its next six field goal attempts and eight straight free throws as the Blazer lead grew to as much as 81-61 over the final moments of the game. The Chargers scored 12 of the first 19 points of the game to grab an early lead, only to have Valdosta State respond with a 12-0 run to build its largest lead of the first half at 19-12 with 10:10 to go in the frame. UAH kept the game close for the ensuing five minutes before scoring 10 of the final 12 points of the half to grab the three-point halftime advantage. Four Blazers scored in double figures, led by Curnell with 19. Crawford added 18 and Lewis 13. The point guard also dished out six assists while not turning the ball over. Dibble contributed 12 points as VSU shot 57.7 percent from the field in the contest. The Blazers also owned a 37-22 advantage in rebounding, including a game-high nine from Dibble, and recorded 10 steals on 14 UAH turnovers. Cody Jones led Alabama-Huntsville with 13 points while Coleman tallied 11. Josh Magette also scored in double figures with 10 and pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. The Chargers shot 42.3 percent from the field in the game. Valdosta State returns to action next Thursday, February 19 when it hosts West Alabama at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Lewis basket Lifts Blazers 61-60

2009-02-07

CARROLLTON, Ga. - Ricardo Lewis' basket with six seconds remaining lifted Valdosta State to a 61-60 victory over West Georgia in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at The Coliseum Saturday evening. Valdosta State (17-5, 5-3) gained the lead on a Ray Cummings' basket with 3:22 to go in the contest, but failed to score on its next three trips down the floor, while the Chris Miller-Williams hit a free throw and a jumper with 47 seconds to go to put West Georgia (4-17, 1-7) up by one. The Blazers proceeded to turn the ball over on their next trip down the floor, but Deion Sims missed a free throw, which was rebounded by VSU's Tyrone Curnell. After a timeout, Valdosta State ran down the clock before putting the ball into Lewis' hands. The junior point guard drove into the lane and lifted a shot over a UWG defender. The shot banked in and Doug Daniels' three-point attempt on the West Georgia end of the court was no good, giving the Blazers the victory. Valdosta State opened the second half on a 15-6 run to take its first lead at 41-40 with 12:56 to go in the contest. Trailing 34-26 at the half, Marvin Dibble opened the run with a jumper before Chris Miller-Williams hit a free throw for the Wolves. Cummings proceeded to add a lay-up and a pair of free throws and, after a John Pringle basket, added another basket in the to close VSU to within three. Pringle added a free throw to put UWG up by four, but Ryan Nelson hit a field goal for the Blazers and Lewis evened the game with a basket. Pringle put the Wolves back in front with a jumper before Christian Hunter connected on a three to give the Blazers the one-point lead. West Georgia responded with a 9-3 run to retake a 49-44 lead and led by as much as 57-52 with 5:06 to go before the Blazers used a 7-1 spurt to regain the lead on Cummings' lay-up. The Wolves never trailed in the first half as they scored the first six points of the game. Their lead grew to as much as 23-12 with 4:59 to go in the half before VSU fought back to close to within five. However, Jeremy Smith hit a three and a jumper in the lane over the final 49 seconds of the half to give West Georgia its eight-point halftime lead. Cummings scored 20 points to lead VSU while Curnell finished with 12 points. The Blazers connected on 24-of-57 field goal attempts (42.1 percent) and was 11-of-16 from the free throw line. Pringle scored 15 points to lead the Wolves while Miller-Williams finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. West Georgia shot just 38.2 percent (26-of-68) from the floor and owned a 41-39 advantage in rebounding. The win snapped a 12-game Blazer losing streak in Carrollton as the last VSU victory on the West Georgia homecourt came on January 15, 1996. It also marked the Blazers' second road victory of 2008-09 season and its first in GSC play. The Blazers return to action Thursday, February 12 when they host Alabama-Huntsville at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. The game will feature Mardi Gras Night at the Complex, with all proceeds going to hurricane relief in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area.

North Alabama races by Blazers 91-68

2009-02-05

FLORENCE, Ala. - North Alabama scored 22 of the first 29 points of the game and never looked back as the Lions defeated Valdosta State 91-68 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at Flowers Hall Thursday evening. The two teams traded baskets over the first three minutes of the game before UNA (15-7, 5-2) took control with a 15-0 run. Doug Hunter began the run with a free throw before Kenny Johnson hit a jumper to put North Alabama up by three. Andrew Chesney added a field goal and Corey Speight a three while Thomas Fraise scored the final seven points of the spurt to give the Lions a 22-7 lead with 11:00 to go in the first half. Valdosta State (16-5, 4-3) got no closer than 10 over the remainder of the half and trailed by as many as 20 as North Alabama built a 48-28 halftime lead. The Lions connected on 16-of-33 field goal attempts in the half to shoot 48.5 percent from the floor while holding the Blazers to 10-of-30 shooting (33.3 percent). UNA also owned a 34-16 advantage in rebounding. The Lions pushed their advantage to as much as 23, at 64-41, seven minutes into the second half before VSU used a short run to close to within 14. Ricardo Lewis began the run with a three pointer before Tyrone Curnell added a fast break lay-up. After Isaac Gay hit a shot for North Alabama, Ray Cummings two free throws and a put-back bucket before Charles Belton's field goal with 10:04 to go in the game closed the Lion lead to 66-52. UNA responded by scoring the next 10 points to build its largest lead at 76-52 Lewis connected on five-of-seven three-pointers and scored a season-high 21 points to lead the Blazers. Cummings also scored in double figures, finishing with 14, and led VSU with seven rebounds in the game while Curnell tallied 13. Valdosta State shot 35.4 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 23-of-65 field goal attempts. Gay, Speight and Johnson scored 15 points each to lead the Lions while Fraise finished with 13. Chesney also finished in double figures with 11. North Alabama shot 53.1 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 34-of-64 shots, and finished with a 55-38 advantage in rebounding. Valdosta State remains on the road as it travels to Carrollton, Ga. to face the Wolves of West Georgia on Saturday, February 7 at 8:30 p.m.

North Alabama Game Notes

2009-02-04

Valdosta State travels to Florence, Ala. to face the Lions of North Alabama in Gulf South Conference action. The Blazers enter the game with a 16-4 record, including a 4-2 mark in GSC action after defeating West Florida on Saturday. UNA is 14-7 on the season and 4-2 in league action. The two teams are tied for second in the GSC East. Valdosta State is looking for a season sweep in the series for the first time since 2005-06, Mike Helfer's first year as head coach. The two squads have split the last two season series, with each school winning on its home court. VSU has gone 29-27 all-time against the Lions, including a 5-2 mark under Helfer. The Blazers are looking to snap a losing streak on the road as VSU has lost both of its road games in conference play this year. Valdosta State%u2019s only win away from the P.E. Complex came at a neutral site against West Alabama. Christian Hunter connected on five of nine three pointers against West Florida, the third time he accomplished the feat this season. He also hit five against Carver and Puerto Rico-Cayey. Tyrone Curnell has seen his numbers slip of late as he is averaging 11.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in GSC play. However, he leads the team in assists, blocks and steals during that time. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top West Florida 78-60

2009-01-31

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A 14-0 run in the first half of play propelled Valdosta State to a 78-60 victory over West Florida in Gulf South Conference men%u2019s basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday afternoon. The first 11 minutes of the game featured two ties and four lead changes as neither team led by more than four points. Victor Boccardo evened the game, at 19-19, for the third time with a lay-up with 8:30 to go in the first half before VSU (16-4, 4-2) went on its run. The Blazer defense held UWF (10-9, 2-4) without a basket for the next 6:50 of play while Valdosta State connected on seven of its 14 field goal attempts during the spurt. Artis Young began the run with a tip-in before Tristan Crawford hit a jumper to push the Blazer lead to four. Christian Hunter followed with five straight points with a three-pointer while a Crawford trifecta and Young's second tip-in posted VSU to a 33-19 lead with 3:55 remaining. The Argonauts closed the half on a 9-5 spurt to cut its deficit to 38-28 at the intermission. West Florida continued to cut into the Valdosta State lead in the opening minutes of the second half as it scored the first six points of the frame to get as close as 38-34. However, after, a Blazer timeout, Ricardo Lewis hit a three and Ray Cummings scored on a fast break lay-up before Tyrone Curnell stole the in-bounds pass and was fouled. His pair of free throws pushed the VSU lead to 45-34 with 16:22 to go in the contest. UWF closed to within five on two occasions over the ensuing two minutes before a 10-1 Blazer run pushed the lead to double digits for good. Ryan Nelson began the run with a three before Hunter added a second trifecta, one of five he connected on in the game. Curnell recorded a lay-up off of a steal and, after a Max Hoggard free throw for the Argonauts, Marvin Dibble added a put-back basket to give VSU a 57-43 advantage. Hunter led all scorers with 17 points while Crawford finished with 13 and Lewis 12.VSU shot 48.4 percent from the floor as it connected on 31-of-64 field goal attempts, including 10-of-26 three-pointers. Crawford led Valdosta State in rebounding with six in the contest as the Blazers owned a 38-36 advantage in rebounding. Charles Bouie and Ryan Henry finished with 12 points each for UWF while Darryl McGhee tallied 10. The Argonauts were held to 23-of-60 shooting from the field in the game, a 38.3 percent success rate. Valdosta State returns to action Thursday, November 5 when it travels to Florence, Ala. to face the Lions of North Alabama.

West Florida Game Notes

2009-01-29

Valdosta State closes out its first run through the Gulf South Conference as the Blazers host West Florida in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers enter the game with a 15-4 record, including a 3-2 mark in GSC action after falling to Montevallo on Sunday. UWF is 10-8 on the season and 2-3 in league action. Valdosta State is looking to defeat the Argonauts for the seventh straight game. West Florida is the only conference school head coach Mike Helfer has yet to lose to in his three-plus seasons with the Blazers. The P.E. Complex has truly been the friendly confines for Valdosta State this season as it has won 12 of its 13 home games. The Blazers score 21.8 points per game at home and outscore opponents by 21.8 points per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the floor. Conversely, on the road, VSU averages 68.7 points and is outscored by 1.6 points per outing while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor. The Blazers have won seven of the last eight contests played between the two schools in the P.E. Complex. In fact, UWF has only won four times in the Complex in 15 games. VSU needs to average 1,462 fans over its final five home games to set a new single season attendance mark. Click for Complete Game Notes

Falcons Fly Past Blazers

2009-01-25

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Valdosta State lost its second Gulf South Conference game in five tries with a 79-63 loss to Montevallo to fall to 15-4 overall and 3-2 in GSC action. The Blazers killed themselves from three-point range as the team went just two for 20 from deep. Marvin Dibble and Tristan Crawford were the only Blazers to score in double figures with 15 and 12 respectively. Dibble led Valdosta State's efforts on the boards with six rebounds. It would not be enough, however, as UM's Nate Flowers doubled up with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Freddy Little scored 20. Two other Falcons were in double digits. Montevallo started the game on a 10-2 run until Ricardo Lewis tossed an alley-oop to Tyrone Curnell for his second basket of the game. Lewis followed that up with a three-point play and Dibble converted two free throws to give VSU nine points. But the Blazers had no answer for Nate Flowers early. He had eight points in the first 10 minutes of the game to help Montevallo to a 19-9 lead. Flowers finished the half with 18 points. Despite being behind, Valdosta State was able to draw Montevallo into the penalty with eight minutes left into the half. The Blazers were able to score eight points off free throws during the half, but Montevallo entering the penalty early didn't help the Blazers much. The fouls evened out to nine for each team by the end of the half. The first half ended with just two Blazers making more than one field goal: Curnell and Crawford. Without the offensive production the Valdosta State is used to, the team found itself down, 38-25 at halftime. Valdosta State opened the half with two quick baskets from Ray Cummings and Curnell. Curnell, though, would pick up his fourth foul of the game just four minutes into the second frame. If the first half belonged to Nate Flowers, Freddy Little owned the first 10 minutes of the second. He put in three three-pointers to start the half and had 16 points at the 12:30 mark to make it 52-35 in favor of the Falcons. De'Andre Johnson made a steal and led a four on two break. At the basket he dished to Crawford who pulled the Blazers within 10 points, 57-47, but UM%u2019s Terrill Humphrey retaliated with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Later, Dibble would convert a three-point play to bring the Falcons lead to 64-52 with just over six minutes left to play. Later, the Blazers continued to hang around. Ryan Nelson tipped a bad pass to Lewis who converted the fast break lay-up to make it an 11-point game, 68-57, with just over three minutes left. With 2:17 left, it looked like Curnell tied the ball up to make it VSU's possession, but, instead, he was called for his fifth foul. In the end, Valdosta State's effort would not be enough. The Blazers look to rebound Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Argonauts of West Florida.

Montevallo Game Notes

2009-01-24

Valdosta State plays its final road game in the first half of its Gulf South Conference schedule as the Blazers visit the Falcons of Montevallo. The Blazers enter the game with a 15-3 record, including a 3-1 in GSC action after defeating West Alabama on Friday. UM is 10-10 on the season and 2-2 in league action. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday evening, but was moved after a gas explosion on the West Alabama campus altered the weekend's schedule. Known for his scoring and rebounding, Tyrone Curnell has proven that he can also share the ball as he is currently second on the Valdosta State squad with 48 assists. Only point guard Ricardo Lewis has more assists than Curnell, currently standing with 51, Valdosta State swept the season series with Montevallo last season, the first two victories for VSU in the series under head coach Mike Helfer. Valdosta State and Montevallo have previously met 29 times, with VSU claiming victory in 18 of those contests. The VSU victory over West Alabama gave the Blazers their best start in four years under Helfer. Valdosta State's previous best 18-game recod under Helfer was 14-4 in 2006-07, which also featured its last trip to a NCAA Regional. Click For Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top West Alabama 71-68

2009-01-23

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Valdosta State survived an onslaught from West Alabama to move to 3-1 in Gulf South Conference play and 15-3 overall. In a nail biter played at Meridian Community College due to problems on West Alabama's campus, the Blazers squeaked by the Tigers by a score of 71-68. In a bit of a change from the past few games, only two Blazers scored in double figures: Tyrone Curnell scored 13 points after a slow start and Ricardo Lewis put in 12 points. Tristan Crawford led all rebounders with eight in the game. West Alabama saw four players score in double figures. West Alabama made four free throws to help the team on its way to a 9-0 run to start the game before Head Coach Mike Helfer used a timeout to slow momentum. Off the timeout, Crawford hit a short jumper for VSU's first points of the game before Lewis knocked down a three to make the score 12-5. After that, Marvin Dibble came into the game for four quick points to help the Blazers back into the game. Ryan Nelson hit a three from the corner to pull within two, and a little later Marquis Robinson tied the game at 20 with 10 minutes left in the first half. After Ray Cummings made a three-point play the hard way to grab a VSU lead, West Alabama's Lucas Hall scored to continue the back-and-forth battle between the two teams. On the next two possessions, Artis Young drew two fouls and hit four free throws to keep Valdosta State tied. The third possession Young skied to follow a rebound to tie the game yet again. Both teams continued to exchange leads so it was fitting that the last possession of the half led to the sixth lead change of the game. After Dibble knocked down a three for a Valdosta State lead, UWA's Jamain Nance hit a runner in the lane to close the half with West Alabama up one, 38-37. At the half, Hall led all scorers with eight points and Dibble led VSU with seven. West Alabama shot an astounding 56 percent for the first half and only missed one of the team's nine free throws. To start the second frame, Cummings changed the lead again with a put back to put the Blazers up 39-38 just 45 seconds into the half. Five minutes later, Lewis hit a three-pointer from three feet behind the line to make it 48-46 in favor of Valdosta. Curnell finally caught fire with 13:15 left in the game. He scored on to give Valdosta State 50 points and then two minutes later made a three-point play followed by two more points to push VSU's lead to 55-48. Cummings put together another three-point play at the seven-minute mark to regain the lead for Valdosta State, 60-58. Seconds later, Nelson was alone at the top of the key for his second three-pointer of the night to open up the flood gates for the Blazers. Crawford hit a lay-up on the fast break off an assist from Lewis, then Curnell threw down a dunk on another fast break to push the score to 67-60 with just under five minutes to play. As Valdosta State clung to a three-point lead, 67-64, for more than two minutes, UWA's Lucas Hall missed two one-and-one opportunities for West Alabama's only missed free throws of the second half. But with one minute left, Herman Mains pulled West Alabama within one, 67-66 on a fast break lay-up. After forcing a wild shot from Crawford as the shot clock wound down, UWA had a chance to take the lead on a breakaway lay-up but missed. On the rebound, the Tigers fouled Lewis who hit two free throws to give the Blazers their first points since the five-minute mark to make it 69-66 with 21 seconds left to play. With 6.9 seconds to play, Crawford was called for a foul while playing pressure defense. West Alabama's Nance steeped up to the free throw line and knocked both shots down to make it a one-point game. On the ensuing VSU possession, Christian Hunter drew the fifth foul from Nance on the inbound play. Hunter knocked down both free throws to make give Valdosta State a three-point lead with 6.4 seconds left in the game. The only shot West Alabama could get off before the buzzer was an air ball from Chris Davis. The Blazers survived to notch their third victory in conference play this season, and will be looking for their fourth on Sunday at 4 p.m. against Montevallo.

VSU vs. UWA Basketball Postponed

2009-01-22

LIVINGSTON, Ala. - Due to a small gas explosion at West Alabama's Pruitt Hall, both the men's and women's basketball games between Valdosta State and West Alabama have been postponed to Friday night. The games will be played at the same times, 6:30 p.m. EST and 8:30 p.m. EST, at either Pruitt Hall or an alternative site to be named later. The postponement moves Valdosta State's basketball games against Montevallo scheduled for Saturday to Sunday. The women tip off at 2 p.m. EST. while the men will play shortly after, scheduled for 4 p.m. EST.

Cummings Named GSC Player of the Week

2009-01-21

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State forward Ray Cummings has been named the Gulf South Conference Player-of-the-Week, according to an announcement made by the league office Wednesday. Cummings led Valdosta State to a pair of GSC victories last week as the Blazers defeated West Georgia 90-75 on Thursday before upending North Alabama 81-62 on Saturday. He scored a team-high 18 points, on 5-of-6 shooting, while pulling down a team-best eight rebounds against the Wolves. Cummings was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the game and dished out a season-high three assists while blocking one shot and recording one steal. Cummings followed with a 14-point, six-rebound showing against the Lions on Saturday. He connected on six-of-12 field goal attempts and both of his free throws in the game while limiting UNA's Thomas Fraise, who was averaging 19.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game entering the contest, to just six points and four rebounds. On the week, Cummings averaged 16.0 points and 4.0 rebounds a game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and a perfect 100.0 percent from the free throw line. Cummings and the Blazers return to action Thursday, January 22 when they travel to Livingston, Ala. to face West Alabama at 8:30 p.m. in Pruitt Hall.

West Alabama Game Notes

2009-01-21

Click for Complete Game Notes Valdosta State plays the first of two road Gulf South Conference games as the Blazers travel to Livingston, Ala. to face the Tigers of West Alabama. The Blazers enter the game with a 14-3 record, including a 2-1 in GSC action after defeating North Alabama on Saturday. UWA is 8-9 on the season and 1-2 in league action. Six Blazers scored in double figures against UNA, the third time this season VSU has accomplished the feat. Ricardo Lewis scored 15 to lead the way while Ray Cummings had 14, Christian Hunter 13, Tyrone Curnell and Tristan Crawford 12 and Marvin Dibble 11. Ray Cummings has hit 23 straight free throws, a streak that stretches back to the Georgia Southwestern game on December 1. Ray Cummings was named the GSC East Division Player of the Week January 21 after averaging 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in two VSU wins last week. Valdosta State and West Alabama have previously met 53 times, with VSU claiming victory in 30 of those contests. Head Coach Mike Helfer has gone 5-1 against the Tigers in three seasons. Valdosta State has swept the season series in each of the last two years, with UWA's last victory in the series coming on February 18, 2006 in Pruitt Hall.

Blazers Power Past North Alabama 81-62

2009-01-17

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Six Valdosta State players scored in double figures as the Blazers defeated North Alabama 81-62 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday afternoon. Ricardo Lewis led the way for the Blazers (14-3, 2-1) with 15 point while Ray Cummings scored 14. Christian Hunter added 13 to go with 12 points from both Tyrone Curnell and Tristan Crawford and 11 from Marvin Dibble. Curnell also pulled down 19 rebounds, the most by a VSU player since Jon Rogers also had 19 against Campbellsville on January 4, 2004, for his 10th double-double of the season. Valdosta State used an early 12-4 run to grab the lead for good. With the score tied at 6-6, Curnell began the run with a three before Kenny Johnson hit a lay-up for North Alabama (13-6, 3-1). Hunter quickly responded with a trifecta for VSU and after a Jerrelle Redden basket for the Lions, Dibble added two more three-pointers to give VSU an 18-10 advantage with 13:47 to go in the half. UNA scored six straight points to close to within two, but got no closer as the Blazers closed the first half on a 23-6 spurt. The Lions connected on just three-of-20 field goal attempts over the final 12:35 of the half while VSU tallied six steals on seven North Alabama turnovers over the span. A Curnell tip-in with 96 seconds remaining in the frame closed out the first half scoring with Valdosta State leading 41-22. The Blazers kept up their onslaught early in the second half as they out-scored the Lions 21-9 over the first 6:30 of play to push their lead above 30 points. Four different Blazers contributed during the run, which culminated with a Curnell three-point play after a fast break dunk over UNA's Isaac Gay, who was called for a block on the play, allowing Curnell to add a free throw for a 62-31 Valdosta State lead. North Alabama closed to within 29 over the ensuing 10 minutes of play while Valdosta State's lead capped out at 79-43 on a Hunter lay-up with 3:40 to go in the contest, allowing Blazer Head Coach Mike Helfer to clear his bench. The Lions closed the game on a 19-2 run against the Blazer reserves, including 13 points from Andrew Chesney. Valdosta State shot 50.0 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 31-of-62 field goal attempts, including 10-of-24 threes. VSU owned a 45-37 advantage in rebounding in the game and tallied 14 steals on 16 North Alabama turnovers. The Lions connected on 24-of-65 field goal attempts for a 36.9 percent shooting night and were led in scoring by Chesney with 17. Johnson added 14 points and Corey Speight 10 while Gay pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Valdosta State returns to action Thursday, January 22 when it travels to Livingston, Ala. to face the Tigers of West Alabama at 8:30 p.m. North Alabama remains on the road and faces Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday, January 24.

North Alabama Game Notes

2009-01-16

Today's WEBCAST can be found at vsu.mediamarshal.com. Valdosta State continues Gulf South Conference play the Blazers host the Lions of North Alabama in the P.E. Complex at 4:00 p.m. The Blazers enter the game with a 13-3 record, including a 1-1 in GSC action after defeating at West Georgia on Thursday. UNA is 13-5 on the season and 3-0 in league action. Five Blazers scored in double figures against UWG on Thursday, the third time this season VSU has accomplished the feat. Ray Cummings scored 18 to lead the way while Tyrone Curnell had 16, Tristan Crawford 15, Ricardo Lewis 12 and Marvin Dibble 11. Valdosta State fans packed the Complex on Thursday as 2,531 fans came out to see the Blazers defeat the Wolves. The crowd was the third-largest VSU home crowd since Valdosta State joined the GSC in 1982-83. Valdosta State and North Alabama have previously met 55 times, with VSU claiming victory in 28 of those contests. All 28 VSU wins have come since joining the GSC, including four, against two losses, under Head Coach Mike Helfer. Valdosta State and North Alabama split a pair of contests last year, with VSU winning 92-86 in overtime in Valdosta while UNA won 94-82 in Florence. The two schools also split a pair of games in 2007-08. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Race by West Georgia 90-75

2009-01-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Five Valdosta State players scored in double figures as the Blazers defeated West Georgia 90-75 in front of a crowd of 2,531 fans in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Thursday evening. Ray Cummings led the way for the Blazers with 18 points while Tyrone Curnell added 16, all in the second half of play. Tristan Crawford poured in 15 and Ricardo Lewis 12 while Marvin Dibble finished with 11 off the bench. VSU (13-3, 1-1) led for all but 104 seconds of the contest as it limited West Georgia (3-13, 0-3) to just 32.4 percent shooting in the first half of play. Deion Sims hit a free throw for the Wolves to open the scoring in the contest, but Crawford responded with a lay-up for the Blazers and Cummings added a dunk to put VSU in front 4-1. After a Doug Daniels three evened the game, Valdosta State responded with a 21-8 run to grab control of the game for good. Cummings matched UWG with eight points during the Blazer spurt while Lewis added six and Christian Hunter five. Lewis's three with 8:39 to go in the first half ended the run with the Blazers leading 25-12. The VSU lead steadily grew over the remainder of the half, topping out at 45-27 on a Marquis Robinson tip-in with 1:16 to go before settling at 45-29 at the half. West Georgia found its shooting touch during the second half as it connected on 18-of-35 field goal attempts (51.4%), but saw the Blazers shoot 66.7 percent from the field. The Wolves scored 22 of the first 31 points of the final 20 minutes of play to close to within 54-47 with 14:09 remaining in the contest, but got no closer. Five different UWG players scored during the run, led by Sims with six. The Blazers responded with a 9-3 spurt to push the lead back into double digits and connected on 14-of-16 free throws over the remainder of the game to seal the victory. Valdosta State shot 50.8 percent from the floor in the game as it hit 32-of-63 field goal attempts while also finishing the game 21-of-25 (84.0 percent) from the charity stripe. The Blazers also owned a 41-35 advantage in rebounding and scored 50 points in the paint. Sims scored 22 to lead all scorers while John Pringle finished with 15 and Gavin Field 13. The Wolves shot 42.0 percent (29-of-69) from the field and forced 17 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, January 17 when it faces GSC leader North Alabama at 4:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. West Georgia remains on the road and plays West Florida at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.

West Georgia Game Notes

2009-01-15

Valdosta State returns home for the first time in a month as the Blazers continue Gulf South Conference play against the Wolves of West Georgia. The Blazers enter the game with a 12-3 record, but are 0-1 in GSC action after falling at Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday. UWG is 3-12 on the season and 0-2 in league action. After finding itself ranked in the Top 25 for the last month, VSU dropped out of the rankings this week, but are still receiving votes. The Blazers received 16 votes this week, which places them 28th in the national poll. Tristan Crawford returned to action at Alabama-Huntsville after a separated shoulder sidelined him for a month. Crawford led the Blazers in scoring with 13 points against the Chargers, but connected on just 3-of-12 field goal attempts in the contest. A quarter of Valdosta State's GSC losses under Head Coach Mike Helfer have come to West Georgia. The Blazers are 2-4 against the Wolves under Helfer while owning a 21-12 record agains the rest of the East Division. West Georgia beat the Blazers in both contests last season, with both games coming down to one point buzzer beater victories. The Wolves won 64-63 in Carrollton before claiming a 79-78 win in the P.E. Complex. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Fall 84-66 to UAH in GSC Opener

2009-01-10

Huntsville, Ala. - Valdosta State lost its first conference game of the season to Alabama-Huntsville by a score of 84-66 to drop to 12-3 overall and 0-1 in the Gulf South Conference. Leading the way for the Blazers was Tristan Crawford in his return from injury. Crawford put in 13 points and brought down six boards in the game. Ricardo Lewis, Christian Hunter and Ray Cummings each scored 10 points in the losing effort with Marvin Dibble leading the team in rebounds with seven. Alabama-Huntsville had two scorers reach the twenties and Kael Coleman dropped 17. Cody Jones finished with 24 while Josh Magette put in 22, 18 in the second half. The Chargers scored 44 points in the paint to VSU's 18 and 24 off Valdosta State's 17 turnovers. The Blazers did receive strong production from the bench with 38 points on the night. Nine minutes into the first half, the UAH Chargers built a 17-12 lead over the Blazers. Not much changed throughout the rest of the half as Alabama-Huntsville took a 35-29 lead into the break. Despite the UAH lead at halftime, Valdosta State actually held the Chargers without a field goal for a span of eight minutes, but UAH scored nine points in that time period on free throws. Of Alabama-Huntsville's 35 halftime points, 12 were from the charity stripe. Alabama-Huntsville's Kael Coleman dominated the first half with 15 points. Coleman helped UAH score 18 points in the paint to VSU's eight in the first frame. To start the second half, Cody Jones started where Coleman left off. He scored nine of the Chargers' first 11 points. VSU began to chip away at the lead though, and then a monstrous dunk by Ray Cummings pulled the Blazers within two at the 14:06 mark. Later, Ricardo Lewis hit a deep three-pointer to pull within one, but UAH's Josh Magette made a three-point play at the other end to spark the Chargers, who pulled away to make it 57-49. Magette went on to shoot two deep balls from well beyond the three-point line to push the score to 65-51. After that, the Charger proved to be too much for VSU. Alabama-Huntsville overwhelmed the Blazers throughout the rest of the game to finish it, 84-66. Valdosta State will host West Georgia at 8 p.m. Thursday for the team's second conference game.

Alabama-Huntsville Game Notes

2009-01-09

Valdosta State opens Gulf South Conference play as the Blazers travel to Huntsville, Ala. to face the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville. The Blazers, who are ranked 18th nationally, enter the game with an 12-2 record while UAH is 8-5 overall and 1-0 in GSC action after defeating West Florida 77-46 on Thursday. VSU is coming off of an 11-day lay-off as the Blazers have not played since defeating Columbus State 87-81 on December 30. In fact, Valdosta State has now only played one game in the last 19 days after playing 13 in the first 37 days of the season. Entering its 27th season as a Gulf South Conference member, Valdosta State sports a 192-175 record all-time in the GSC, a .523 winning percentage. Head Coach Mike Helfer had led VSU to a 23-15 mark in three seasons, a .605 winning percentage. The Blazers have won each of their last two GSC openers and are 13-13 overall in conference openers since joining the league for the 1982-83 season. Tyrone Curnell leads the Gulf South Conference with nine double-doubles, two more than Nick Kohs of Christian Brothers. Curnell is the only player in the GSC currently ranked in the top 10 in the league in scoring (6th), rebounding (2nd), steals (3rd) and blocked shots (5th). Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Comeback for 87-81 Victory

2008-12-30

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Valdosta State overcame a 10-point second half deficit to defeat Columbus State 87-81 in non-conference men's basketball action at the Lumpkin Center Tuesday evening. The Blazers (12-2) missed a pair of shots and committed three turnovers during their first five possessions of the second half while the Cougars (2-4) were successful on four of their five field goal attempts to build a 53-43 advantage with 17:37 to go in the game. Valdosta State rebounded with a 21-2 run over the next six minutes of play to grab the lead. Tyrone Curnell began the run with a pair of free throws before Chris Telesford hit a jumper to put CSU back up by 10. Ricardo Lewis quickly followed with a running jumper for VSU while Curnell added a jumper and Ray Cummings a dunk to move the Blazers to within four. Lewis' second basket of the run and a Christian Hunter fast break lay-up eventually evened the game at 55-55 while De'Andre Johnson gave the Blazers the lead with a three-pointer off of a Lewis assist. Artis Young proceeded to hit a jumper for the Blazers while Curnell added two free throws and Cummings a lay-up to post Valdosta State to a 64-55 advantage with 11:17 remaining in the ball game. An 16-7 run by the Cougars over the next five minutes evened the game at 71-71 before VSU responded with a 13-2 spurt that gave it its largest lead at 84-73 with 2:34 remaining in the ball game. Five different Blazers scored during the run, led by Curnell, who hit a free throw and two baskets. Columbus State closed to within five over the final minutes of the game, but missed shots in the final 10 seconds. CSU used an early 10-0 run in the first half to grab control of the game. With the ball game tied at 4-4, Nick Gagnon hit a jumper before Javarus Stewart added a pair of baskets for the Cougars. Keonte Keith also scored during the run, which ended with Gagnon's second basket that gave Columbus State a 14-4 advantage 3:30 into the game. Valdosta State fought back and tied the game at 20-20 on a Marvin Dibble dunk five minutes later while the next six minutes featured four ties and three lead changes. A quick 7-0 run, including five points by Johnson, gave the Blazers their largest lead of the first half at 41-34 with 3:12 to go in the frame, but Columbus State held VSU to just two free throws the rest of the half to grab a 44-43 lead at the intermission. Curnell led Valdosta State with 19 points and 11 rebounds, his ninth double-double of the season. Lewis added 15 points while Hunter and Dibble finished with 13 and 12, respectively. The Blazers shot 50.7 percent from the floor in the game, including 53.1 percent in the second half, and recorded 10 steals on 18 CSU turnovers. VSU connected on 13-of-16 free throws in the game. The Cougars got 42 points off the bench, including 19 from Rye Zender and 17 more from Telesford. Columbus State shot 48.6 percent from the floor and owned a 37-34 advantage in rebounding, including a 24-16 advantage during the first half. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, January 10 when it opens Gulf South Conference play at Alabama-Huntsville. The game will be part of a doubleheader with the VSU women's team, which plays at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. The men's game follows at 8:00 p.m.

Columbus State Game Notes

2008-12-29

Valdosta State closes out 2008 with the same opponent as it did in 2007 as the Blazers travel to Columbus, Ga. to face Columbus State. The Blazers enter the game with an 11-2 record while the Cougars are 2-3. Both teams will be looking to shake off a little rust as neither program has played since December 21, when VSU defeated Barry 61-45. CSU's last game came on December 20 when it fell 75-55 to Montevallo. The game marks the 100th game in the Valdosta State career of head coach Mike Helfer, who has gone 66-33 over the course of his first 99 contests. After suffering their second loss of the 2008-09 season in a 65-64 buzzer beater to Lynn on December 20, the Blazers dropped to No. 25 in the latest NABC poll, which was released on December 23. The Columbus State game is expected to be the last one Valdosta State will play without junior guard Tristan Crawford, who is second on the team in scoring. VSU has gone 5-1 during Crawford's absence, which began with the Saint Leo contest on December 5. After the CSU game, the Blazers will enjoy another long break as they do not take the floor again until Saturday, January 10 when they open Gulf South Conference play at Alabama-Huntsville. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top Barry 61-45

2008-12-21

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Valdosta State rebounded from its second loss of the season to defeat Barry 61-45 in the second day of play at the Doubletree Guest Suites Classic Sunday afternoon. The Blazers (11-2) used a 15-3 run to close the first half of play to grab control of the contest. After Barry's Willie Whitfield hit a jumper to put the Buccaneers (5-5) in front 25-22 with 5:31 to go in the first half, Ryan Nelson began the VSU run with a three-pointer before an Artis Young lay-up gave the Blazers the lead. Christian Hunter put Valdosta State in front by four with a basket and, after a Whitfield free throw for BU, Nelson ad Young hit back-to-back three-pointers to push the Blazer lead to nine. Erick Nsangou ended the Barry scoring drought with a jumper, but Young tipped in a missed shot with 50 seconds remaining in the half to give VSU a 37-28 halftime lead. Barry opened the second half on a 10-5 run to close to within 42-38, only to have the Blazers score 19 of the next 24 points to grab control of the game. The Blazer run covered more than 11 minutes of the clock and was similar to the final 11 minutes of play when the two squads met on December 6, when VSU outscored Barry 17-5 to claim a 57-40 victory. Tyrone Curnell led the Valdosta State surge as he outscored Barry 11-5 during the deciding 11 minutes of play. The first 14 minutes of the game saw six lead changes and one tie as neither team was able to grab control of the contest. The largest lead during the span came with 11:58 remaining before the half when Nsangou hit a jumper to put Barry up 16-9. The Blazers fought back and eventually took a 22-19 lead before a pair of buckets by Whitfield and Nsangou's jumper game the Buccaneers their final lead at 25-22. Curnell led the Blazers with 14 points and 13 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. Hunter and Lewis tallied 13 points each while Young finished with a season-best seven points. The Blazers shot 42.1 percent from the floor in the game and owned a 40-34 advantage in rebounding. Karega Tucker led Barry with 14 points while Whitfield and Nsangou finished with 10 each. The Buccaneers shot 34.0 percent from the floor in the contest and recorded just four assists against 15 turnovers. Valdosta State takes the next nine days off for the Christmas Holiday before returning to action Tuesday, December 30 when it plays at Columbus State at 7:00 p.m.

Blazers Fall to Lynn in Buzzer Beater

2008-12-20

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Michel Vidal's tip-in with one second to go propelled Lynn to a 65-64 upset of No. 20 Valdosta State in the first day of play at the Doubletree Guest Suites Classic at the de Hoernle Center Saturday evening. Valdosta State (10-2) took the lead with 17 seconds remaining in the contest when Ricardo Lewis hit a jumper. After a timeout, Dusty Pflugner missed a jumper for the Fighting Knights, but Chris Hall pulled down a rebound. Hall and John Brown missed put-back attempts, but Brown grabbed a rebound, allowing Lynn (7-2) to call another timeout with five seconds to go. Out of the timeout, the Fighting Knights got the ball to Vidal underneath the basket, but his shot was blocked by Ray Cummings. Vidal grabbed the ball in the air and tipped it back in at the buzzer for the game winner. The Fighting Knights (7-2) led throughout the first half as they opened the game on a 12-4 run. Hall opened the game with a lay-up before Valdosta State's Ray Cummings evened the game with a lay-in. Dusty Pflugner put LU back in front with a basket and Hall hit a three while Marvin Dibble scored for the Blazers. Randy Jones added a trifecta for Lynn and Hall hit two free throws to put the Fighting Knights up by eight. Ricardo Lewis wrapped six points around a bucket by Hall to pull VSU to within four points at 14-10, but Lynn scored 13 of the next 20 points to build its largest lead at 27-17 with 8:32 remaining in the first half. The Blazers held LU to just four points over the next eight minutes to close to within 31-30, but saw Jones hit a three with a second remaining in the half to post Lynn to a 34-30 halftime lead. VSU continued to fight back over the first eight minutes of the second half, tying the game at 40-40 on a Ryan Nelson basket with a 13:21 to go before eventually taking the lead on a Tyrone Curnell tip-in with a minute later. The Fighting Knights regained the lead with a 7-0 run and led 55-47 with 7:24 to go in the contest when the Blazers again staged a run to retake the lead. A Nelson three-point play was followed by a Christian Hunter three-pointer to close the Blazers to within two. A Charles Belton tip-in eventually evened the contest at 59-59, but Lynn responded by scoring five straight points. Hunter proceeded to wrap a pair of baskets around a Brown free throw, setting up the eventful final 15 seconds of play. Hall led all scorers with 30 points as he was the only Lynn player to score in double figures. Lynn hit 22-of-56 field goal attempts, but pulled down 43 rebounds, including 21 on the offensive end of the court. Lewis led the Blazers with 14 points while Hunter finished with 13 and Nelson 10. Valdosta State shot 42.6 percent from the floor as it hit 23-of-54 field goal attempts, but grabbed just 31 rebounds and saw Curnell, who was leading the team at 16.4 points per game entering the contest, held to five points in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Sunday afternoon when it plays Barry at 3:30 p.m. in the second day of action in the Classic.

Doubletree Guest Suites Classic Game Notes

2008-12-19

Valdosta State hits the road for the first time in 2008-09 as the Blazers compete in the Doubletree Guest Suites Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. The Blazers face host Lynn on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. before facing off against Barry at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. VSU enters the weekend with a 10-1 record while Lynn is 6-2 and Barry 4-4. Valdosta State's seven-game winning streak is the third-longest streak by the Blazers since Mike Helfer became the head coach in 2005-06. VSU won nine straight in 2006-07 and eight straight in 2004-05. Valdosta State moved up to No. 20 in the latest NABC poll, which was released on Tuesday, December 16. The Blazers are one of four Gulf South Conference teams currently ranked in the poll. Tyrone Curnell was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week for the week ending December 16, his second straight week in earning the honor. Curnell averaged 23.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals a game while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor in two games. After being out-rebounded just once in its first nine games of the year, VSU has seen its opponents grab more rebounds in each of the last two games. On the year, the Blazers are out-rebounding opponents 41.5 per game to 32.7. Click for Complete Game Notes

Curnell Named GSC Player of the Week

2008-12-17

VALDOSTA, Ga. - For the second straight week, Valdosta State forward Tyrone Curnell has been named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week, according to an announcement made by the league offices Wednesday morning. Curnell led Valdosta State to a pair of victories last week as he averaged 23.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. The Ocoee, Fla. native connected on 18-of-26 field goal attempts during the week, a 69.2 percent success rate, and 9-of-10 free throws. He also averaged 4.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals on the week. Curnell began the week by scoring 22 points and pulling down 11 rebounds, his seventh double-double of the season, in a 75-67 victory over Albany State. He also dished out four assists in the game and blocked four shots while tallying three steals. The junior connected on eight-of-13 field goal attempts in the game, including one of his three three-point attempts, and was a perfect five-of-five from the free throw line. He followed by scoring a career-best 25 points in an 80-79 victory over Tampa Tuesday evening. Curnell was successful on 10-of-13 field goal attempts in the game, including his only three-point attempt and connected on four-of-five free throws. After hitting just one of his first three field goal attempts over the first five minutes of play, he went on to connect on nine of his final ten shots, including six-of-seven in the second half of play. Additionally, Curnell pulled down seven rebounds, dished out a game-high five assists and registered a steal. Curnell is currently leading Valdosta State with 16.4 points and 10.8 rebounds a game and has dished out 24 assists. He also leads VSU with 15 blocks and 23 steals on the season. He is shooting 55.1 percent from the floor and 87.9 percent from the free throw line. The Blazers, who are ranked No. 20 nationally in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll, are currently 10-1 on the season. They return to action Saturday, December 20 when they travel to Boca Raton, Fla. to take part in the Doubletree Guest Suites Classic hosted by Lynn. VSU will face the host Fighting Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday before facing Barry at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. The games mark the first two games Valdosta State will play this season away from the friendly confines of the P.E. Complex as all 11 VSU contests to date have been played at home.

Nelson's Buzzer Beater Propels VSU to 80-79 Victory

2008-12-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Ryan Nelson banked in a 25-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to propel No. 20 Valdosta State to an 80-79 victory over Tampa in non-conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Tuesday evening. Nelson's game-winning shot came after Tampa's Anthony LaBruno hit a pair of free throw with 6.1 seconds remaining to put the Spartans (5-3) ahead 79-77. After a UT timeout, Valdosta State (10-1) inbounded the ball to Ricardo Lewis, who dribbled down the floor and handed off to Nelson on the left wing. The junior was trapped by a pair of Tampa defenders that prevented him from dribbling and was forced to pivot and elevating into the air. He released the ball just milliseconds before the horn sounded and saw his shot bounce off the backboard and into the basket for his only field goal of the contest, setting off a wild celebration on the P.E. Complex floor. As fitting the final score, the game was tight throughout the 40 minutes of play as the lead changed 22 times during the course of play while the score was tied on 13 occasions. Neither team led by more than five points during the first half, which featured 12 of the lead changes and seven of the ties. Tampa grabbed a pair of three-point cushions late in the half, the last coming on a pair of Rudy Jean free throws with 3:01 to go in the half, only to have VSU score eight of the final 11 points to grab a 38-36 halftime lead. Charles Belton began the Blazer running with a jumper in the lane before Tyrone Curnell added a three-point play. Christian Hunter gave the Blazers a five-point advantage with 34 seconds remaining in the half with a three-pointer, but LaBruno responded with a trifecta just six seconds before the half to close out the scoring in the frame. Valdosta State maintained its lead for the first 10 minutes of the second half before Tampa worked its way back into the lead. After a Curnell three-point play gave VSU its largest lead at 58-51 with 12:43 to go in the contest, the Spartans used a 10-2 run to claim the advantage. Fred Woods scored the first four points of the run with a basket and two free throws before a Belton tip-in pushed the Blazer lead back to five points. Woods responded with a lay-up and Johnathan Ball hit a basket before Rashad Callaway added two free throws to give UT a 61-60 lead with 9:37 to go. The next two minutes of play featured six lead changes and three ties before the Blazers used a 9-2 run to once again grab control of the scoreboard. With Valdosta State trailing by two points, Curnell scored on his third three-point play of the game before adding a lay-up to put VSU up 73-70. After a Woods basket cut the Spartan deficit to one, Ricardo Lewis hit a jumper and Curnell added a lay-up to push the Blazer lead to 77-72 with 2:04 remaining. Callaway pulled Tampa back even as he hit a three from the top of the key with 1:49 remaining and on UT's next trip down the floor drove into the lane and dished off to Glyn Hunter, who hit a lay-up to even the game at 77-77. Curnell hit 10-of-13 field goals and four-of-five free throws in the game to score a career-high 25 points. He also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and dished out a game-high five assists. Ray Cummings was equally as hot from the floor as he hit six-of-nine shots and all four of his free throws to score 16 points while Lewis finished with 12. The Blazers shot 53.7 percent from the floor in the game and tallied 10 steals on 20 Tampa turnovers. Callaway led all scorers with 31 points while hitting 10-of-18 field goal attempts. Woods and Ball finished with 16 points each for the Spartans while LaBruno tallied 10. Tampa owned a 31-23 advantage in rebounds, but saw its reserves outscored 14-6 by the Valdosta State bench. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, December 20 when it travels to Boca Raton, Fla. to face Lynn in the Doubletree Guest Suites Holiday Classic. The Blazers and Fighting Knights will play at 7:30 p.m. while VSU will face Barry at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Tampa Game Notes

2008-12-15

Valdosta State completes its 11-game home stand as the Blazers host Tampa in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers are 9-1 on the season and are riding a six-game winning streak while Tampa is 5-2 on the year. Today's game marks the 22nd meeting between the two schools. UT owns a 13-8 edge in the all-time series, including a 3-2 mark since the Blazers moved to the NCAA Division II ranks. Valdosta State's six-game winning streak is the third-longest streak by the Blazers since Mike Helfer became the head coach in 2005-06. VSU won nine straight in 2006-07 and eight straight in 2004-05. After beginning the season by hitting 17 straight free throws, Christian Hunter missed his first charity shot of the year in VSU's win over Albany State. Hunter and Tyrone Curnell have combined to hit 42 of 46 free throws this year, a 91.3 success rate. Much of Valdosta State's success on the season can be attributed to the play of the VSU bench as the Blazer reserves are out-scoring opponents back-ups 32.9 points to 14.3 each game. Marvin Dibble has excelled in shooting this season as he has hit 40-of-63 field goal attempts, a 63.5 percent rate. He has hit 34-of-43 from inside the three-point line, or 79.1 percent. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top Albany State 75-67

2008-12-14

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Tyrone Curnell tallied his seventh double-double of the season to lead Valdosta State to a 75-67 victory over Albany State in non-conference men%u2019s basketball action at the P.E. Complex Sunday afternoon. Curnell scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to register a double-double for the seventh time in 10 VSU games. He also dished out four assists and blocked four shots while recording three steals. He connected on eight-of-13 field goal attempts and all five of his free throw tries in the game. Albany State (3-2) scored the first basket of the game for its only lead of the contest as VSU (9-1) scored 16 of the next 18 points. Ray Cummings scored a pair of baskets to give the Blazers the lead before Curnell added a dunk on a fast break. After a James Clark basket for the Golden Rams, five different VSU players added points to push the Blazer lead to 16-4 with 11:56 to go in the half. Albany State responded with a 19-5 run, fueled by six points each from Clark and Sean Glenn, over the next eight minutes to close to within a point, but Valdosta State limited the Golden Rams to just a Clark jumper over the final 3:36 of the half to grab a 32-24 halftime lead. ASU got no closer than six points during the final 20 minutes of play while the Blazers led by as much as 14 points on two different occasions. VSU was held without a field goal for the final 4:04 of the contest, but connected on 11 of 16 free throws during that span to maintain its lead. Valdosta State shot 46.4 percent from the floor in the game, including 51.9 percent during the second half of play. Marvin Dibble and Cummings joined Curnell in double figure points with 12 each. Dibble added nine rebounds and five assists, against no turnovers. Clark led the Golden Rams with 19 points while Glenn scored 13. ASU shot just 40.7 percent in the contest and owned a 38-36 advantage in rebounding. Valdosta State returns to action Tuesday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m. when it hosts Tampa in the P.E. Complex.

Albany State Game Notes

2008-12-12

Valdosta State returns from a seven-day lay-off, during which the Blazers focused on final exams, as VSU hosts Albany State in the P.E. Complex Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The Blazers are 8-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to fourth-ranked Florida Southern, while Albany State is 3-1. Today's game marks the 47th meeting between the two schools. VSU owns a 26-20 edge in the all-time series, including a 23-18 mark since the Blazers moved to the NCAA Division II ranks. Tyrone Curnell was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week this past week after averaging 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in a pair of Blazer victories. Curnell has tallied double-doubles in six of VSU's nine games on the year. He narrowly missed the remaining three as he is just two points and four rebounds shy of being a perfect nine-of-nine. Valdosta State's quick start has earned the Blazers some national recognition as the Blazers are ranked 24th in the latest NABC Poll. VSU garnered 24 points and are just three points out of 21st place. The 40 points scored by Barry in VSU's last outing are the fewest by a VSU opponent since Carver Bible scored 40 on December 13, 2004. Click for Complete Game Notes

Curnell Named GSC Player of the Week

2008-12-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Tyrone Curnell has been named the Gulf South Conference East Division Player of the Week according to an announcement made by the league offices Wednesday. Curnell led the Blazers to a pair of victories last week while averaging a double-double in the process. The junior scored 17 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in a 67-61 victory over Saint Leo on Friday before scoring a game-high 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as VSU defeated Barry 57-40 on Saturday. He also dished out two assists, blocked five shots and recorded four steals in the two games. On the year, Curnell is averaging 14.8 points and 11.2 rebounds a game while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. In addition to points and rebounds, he also leads the Blazer squad in blocked shots, with 11, and steals, with 19. Curnell has recorded a double-double in six of Valdosta State's nine games on the season while narrowly missing the feat in the three remaining games. He has fallen just two points, against Fort Valley State, and four rebounds, three versus Puerto Rico-Cayey and one against Florida Memorial, short of a perfect nine-of-nine showing in double-doubles. Curnell and the rest of the Blazers return to action Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 p.m. when they host Albany State in the P.E. Complex. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, December 13, but was moved due to VSU graduation ceremonies being held in the Complex.

Men's Basketball Enters National Rankings

2008-12-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The fast start by the Valdosta State men's basketball season has begun to get the Blazers noticed nationally as VSU entered the NABC Division II men's basketball poll as the 24th-ranked team in the nation Tuesday. The Blazers, who have begun the season with eight wins against just one loss, earned 24 votes in the poll and are separated from 21st place by a mere three votes. Valdosta State is one of four Gulf South Conference teams in the rankings as Arkansas-Monticello is 13th, North Alabama 15th and Ouachita Baptist 20th. VSU returns to action Sunday, December 14th at 4:00 p.m. when it hosts Albany State in the P.E. Complex. Tampa, who is ranked 27th in Tuesday's poll, visits the Complex on Tuesday, December 16th at 7:30 p.m.

Blazers Shut Down Barry 57-40

2008-12-06

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State limited Barry to just two field goals and a free throw over the final 10-plus minutes of play as the Blazers defeated the Buccaneers 57-40 in the men's basketball Loop Pizza Grill Classic in the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. After Erick Nsangou's jumper with 10:51 to go in the game cut VSU's lead to 40-35, the Blazers (8-1) scored 17 of the final 22 points of the game as BU (3-2) connected on just two of 12 field goal attempts the rest of the way. Valdosta State scored the next 12 points of the game after Nsangou's bucket, a spurt that began with a Ryan Nelson one-handed tip-in. Marquis Robinson followed with a pair of free throws and a lay-up before Christian Hunter hit a pair of free throws. Charles Belton closed the run with a pair of baskets to give VSU a 52-35 lead with 5:37 to go. Barry ended its scoring streak with a Nsangou lay-up with 5:12 to go, a shot that ended a five minute and 39 second scoreless streak. Nsangou followed with a free throw 54 seconds later while Bryan Chiverton gave BU its final points with a fast break lay-up with 3:00 minutes to go. The first five minutes of the game featured two ties and two lead changes as both teams started slow from the field. However, the Bucs grabbed their largest lead of the game with a 6-0 run, spurred by four points from Willie Whitfield, that ended with BU leading 13-7 with 9:45 to go in the first half. Valdosta State hit just four of its 13 field goal attempts during the first 10 minutes of play, but caught fire the rest of the first half. The Blazers scored on seven of their next 10 field goal attempts and used an 11-2 run over a five minute span to grab the lead for good. Ricardo Lewis scored the first eight points of the run while Tyrone Curnell hit a three from the right wing to put VSU in front 25-22 with 2:51 to go in the half. The junior added a second three two minutes later to give Valdosta State a 28-24 halftime lead. Barry scored a bucket 12 seconds into the second half to close to within two points and saw VSU lead by as much as nine over the next nine minutes before the game-deciding run. Curnell tallied his sixth double-double of the year as he finished with a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also blocked four shots and recorded an assist in just 23 minutes of play. Lewis also scored in double figures with 14 points while Christian Hunter dished out a game-high four assists. VSU shot 22-of-50 (44.0 percent) from the floor in the game and owned a 42-32 advantage in rebounding. Chiverton led the Buccaneers with nine points as BU shot 28.8 percent (15-of-52) from the floor. The frigid shooting night was due in large part to Barry's futility from beyond the three-point arc, from which BU connected on just 3-of-24 shots in the game. Valdosta State takes the next week off as the team breaks for final exams before returning to action Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 p.m. when it hosts Albany State in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers Edge Saint Leo 67-61

2008-12-05

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State suffered through an off night of shooting, but used a strong rebounding effort to defeat Saint Leo 67-61 in the first day of play at the Loop Pizza Grill Classic in men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Friday night. The Blazers (7-1) entered the evening shooting 51.5 percent from the floor on the season, but connected on just 44.3 percent in the game. However, VSU claimed a 42-29 edge in rebounding and used 18 offensive boards to claim a 19-9 edge in second chance points. VSU connected on just 41.7 percent of its first half field goals, but still managed to build a double digit lead at the half. The first seven minutes of the game featured four ties before Valdosta State used a 14-4 run to grab the lead for good. With the score tied, De'Andre Johnson began the spurt with a three before Ryan Nelson added a lay-up. Saint Leo (3-3) closed back to within on with a pair of baskets by Jordan Prais and Josue Vazquez before Ricardo Lewis wrapped a jumper and a three-pointer around baskets by Tyrone Curnell and Marvin Dibble to give VSU a 28-18 advantage with 4:36 to go in the half. The Lions got no closer than eight the remainder of the half while a Dibble three with 47 seconds remaining in half gave the Blazers a 35-24 halftime lead. SLU closed to within four points with a 9-2 surge over the first three and a half minutes of the second half. Vazquez began the run with a lay-up and a three-point play before Curnell scored a bucket for Valdosta State. Kyle Rowland responded with two more buckets for the Lions to close Saint Leo to within 37-33 with 16:43 remaining in the game. The Blazers responded with 10 straight points, including the first eight from Dibble, to build its largest lead at 47-33 only to have the Lions respond with nine straight points of their own. The remainder of the game saw the two teams trade runs as VSU led by as much as 12 over the final eight minutes while Saint Leo closed to within four with 2:09 remaining. Valdosta State hit four free throws the remainder of the way to seal the victory. Curnell led the Blazers with 17 points and 14 rebounds, his fifth double-double in eight games. Dibble tallied 15 points and nine boards while Ricardo Lewis finished with 13 points. The Blazers suffered through their first game of the year with more turnovers than assists as they coughed the ball up 16 times while dishing out 11 assists. Quentin Cullop scored a game-high 18 points while Prais finished with 15 and Rowland 14. Vazquez also scored in double figures with 11 as SLU shot 45.3 percent from the floor. The Lions turned the ball over 16 times and recorded nine steals on the evening. The Classic concludes with a pair of games on Saturday, with Saint Leo playing West Alabama at 4:00 p.m. while Valdosta State plays Barry at 8:00 p.m.

Blazers Host The Loop Pizza Grill Classic

2008-12-05

Valdosta State hosts the Loop Pizza Grill Classic Friday and Saturday in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers play Saint Leo Friday night at 8:00 p.m. and Barry Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Barry and West Alabama play Friday at 4:00 p.m. while SLU and UWA face off Saturday at the same time. Valdosta State owns winning records against both schools it will match-up against as VSU has gone 14-5 all-time against Saint Leo and is a perfect 3-0 against Barry. The Blazers are 6-1 on the season and are off to their best start since the 2004-05 season when they began the year 8-0. Saint Leo enters Friday's game at 3-2 while Barry is 2-1 entering the weekend's play. Valdosta State has recorded three straight games of shooting better than 65 percent in a half. Against Florida Memorial, the Blazers shot 67.9 percent in the first half and followed that by shooting 65.4 percent in the first half against St. Thomas. This past Monday, VSU shot 69.0 percent in the second half against Georgia Southwestern. The Blazers blocked a season-best seven shots against the Hurricanes Monday, led by Ryan Nelson who tallied three. After starting the season with six blocks in three games, VSU has now blocked 19 in the last four contests. Click for Complete Game Notes

Valdosta State Out-Shoots Georgia Southwestern 90-64

2008-12-01

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State shot 69.0 percent from the floor during the second half of play as the Blazers defeated Georgia Southwestern 90-64 in non-conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. The Blazers (6-1) connected on 20-of-29 field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes of play, including 7-of-11 three-pointers. The torrid shooting pace helped VSU push a 10-point halftime lead into a 28-point advantage with 9:35 to go in the game. Valdosta State led 39-29 at the intermission and actually missed five of its first 10 field goal attempts of the second half, but still pushed its lead to 51-36 during the first five minutes of the half. Christian Hunter took over from that point on as he scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the final 15 minutes of play. The sophomore connected on five of his final six field goals, including four-of-five threes. He also dished out four assists during the final 15 minutes. Hunter scored eight points to spur a 19-6 run over a five and a half minute span that gave VSU its largest lead at 70-42 with 9:35 remaining in the contest. Georgia Southwestern (3-2) got no closer than 22 the rest of the way as it played the final 20 minutes without leading scorer Anthony Sargent, who left the game with a shoulder injury just before the half. VSU also played without its leading scorer, Tristan Crawford, throughout the second half as Crawford also suffered a shoulder injury one play before Sargent was hurt for the Hurricanes. The Blazers used a 17-7 run early in the game to grab the lead. With the game tied 2-2, Ryan Nelson started the spurt with a jumper from the right wing before Tyrone Curnell added a lay-up for VSU. Valdosta State went on to add five baskets in the paint over the next three minutes, including a Robinson dunk with 12:10 remaining in the first half to give the Blazers with a 19-9 lead. GSW closed to within 21-16 over the next two and a half minutes, only to have Valdosta State respond with eight straight, including four from Crawford, to push its lead back to double digits. The two teams played even the rest of the half as Hunter hit a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining in the frame to give the Blazers their 10-point halftime cushion. The 69.0 percent shooting effort in the second half marked the third straight contest in which VSU shot at least 65.0 percent in one half, as Valdosta State shot 67.9 percent in the first half against Florida Memorial last Wednesday before tallying 65.6 percent in the first half against St. Thomas on Saturday. On the game, the Blazers were 36-of-64 from the floor, a 56.3 percent success rate. Curnell tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds while Ray Cummings and Nelson finished with 10 points each. Nelson also recorded three of VSU's seven blocked shots in the game while Cummings helped VSU to a 41-32 advantage in rebounds with a season-best eight. Chris Rawls scored 19 points, including nine on 10 free throw attempts, to lead Georgia Southwestern while Evan Mobley finished with 14 and Rick Russell 10. GSW shot 36.1 percent from the floor, but connected on 18-of-24 free throws in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, December 5 when it hosts The Loop Pizza Grill Classic in the P.E. Complex. The tournament opens with West Alabama and Barry playing at 4:00 p.m. Friday followed by VSU and St. Leo at 8:00 p.m. West Alabama and St. Leo will tip off Saturday's play at 4:00 p.m. while the Blazers and Barry conclude the tournament with an 8:00 p.m. tip-off.

Georgia Southwestern Game Notes

2008-11-30

Valdosta State continues its 11-game homestand as the Blazers host St. Thomas in the P.E. Complex Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. The Blazers are 5-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to fourth-ranked Florida Southern, while Georgia Southwestern is 3-1. Today's game marks the 26th meeting between the two schools. VSU owns a 17-8 edge in the all-time series, including a 9-5 mark since the Blazers moved to the NCAA Division II ranks. Valdosta State is currently shooting 50.7 percent from the field on the season. The Blazers have shot better than 50 percent from the field four times this year, including a season-high 59.6 percent against St. Thomas Saturday. Despite a season-high 19 turnovers against St. Thomas Saturday evening, the Blazers are still averaging nearly two assists to every turnovers. They have dished out 123 assists while turning the ball over 68 times, a 1.88 ratio. After starting the season slow by blocking just four shots in its first three games, VSU has now blocked four shots in each of the last three contests. Tyrone Curnell has shown his versatility on the court as he is second in scoring, first in rebounding, fourth in assists, first in blocked shots and first in steals on the VSU squad. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Too Much for Bobcats 88-72

2008-11-29

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State shot 59.6 percent from the field as the Blazers defeated St. Thomas 88-72 in non-conference basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday night. VSU (5-1) connected on 31-of-52 field goal attempts in the game, including 17-of-26 (65.4 percent) during the first 20 minutes of play, during which it built a 51-35 halftime lead. Of the 17 Valdosta State field goals made in the first half, eight were from beyond the three-point stripe, on 11 attempts. The Blazers never trailed as they scored the first five points of the game before using a 10-2 run to build a double-digit lead. With Valdosta State leading 14-12, Marvin Dibble started the run with a three-pointer before Tristan Crawford added a pair of free throws. Bryce Johnson responded with two free throws for the Bobcats (1-2), only to have De'Andre Johnson connect on a jumper and Christian Hunter a three to post VSU to a 24-14 lead. St. Thomas scored five straight points to close to within five only to have VSU respond with a 17-5 run to push its advantage to double digits for good. Ricardo Lewis hit a pair of three-pointers during the run while Crawford added a trifecta and a lay-in. Ray Cummings closed out the run with a pair of free throws to put the Blazers ahead 42-25 with 4:56 remaining in the first half. Walter Howard gave VSU its largest lead of the half with a lay-up with 1:55 remaining in the first half while an Antonio Jones three-pointer for the Bobcats 47 seconds before the half gave the Blazers a 16-point advantage at the intermission. STU scored the first four points of the second half to close to within 12, forcing a Valdosta State timeout. The Blazer responded by scoring 11 of the next 13 points to a 21-point lead. Crawford began the Blazer spurt with a pair of buckets and Cummings added a three-point play before closing the run with a dunk to give Valdosta State a 62-41 lead with 15:11 remaining in the game. St. Thomas got no closer than 13 points the rest of the game while VSU built its largest lead of the game, at 83-60, with 4:06 remaining. Crawford led the Blazers with 16 points while Cummings had 14 and Lewis 10. Tyrone Curnell recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Blazers turned the ball over a season-high 19 times, but dished out 23 assists while also tallying 11 steals and four blocks. Jones led all scorers with 19 points while Ceser Jacobo-Chavez finished with 18 while hitting 10-of-12 free throws. Tracy Razz also scored in double figures with 14 as St. Thomas shot 38.3 percent (23-of-60) in the contest. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, December 1 when it hosts Georgia Southwestern in the P.E. Complex at 7:30 p.m.

St. Thomas Game Notes

2008-11-28

Valdosta State continues its 11-game homestand as the Blazers host St. Thomas in the P.E. Complex Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. The Blazers are 4-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to fourth-ranked Florida Southern, while St. Thomas is 1-1. Today's game marks the fourth meeting between the two schools. STU owns a 1-2 edge in the all-time series, although VSU won 89-62 in the P.E. Complex a year ago. The Blazer guards tallied 17 assists without turning the ball over in Wednesday night's win over Florida Memorial as all seven Valdosta State turnovers in the game were committed by post players. Ricardo Lewis dished out 10 assists in the 83-62 victory over FMU, the first time that a Blazer has recorded double digit assists in a game since Herman Burge tallied 10 against Alabama-Huntsville on February 3, 2007. Valdosta State has registered 100 assists, an average of 20.0 per game, against just 49 turnovers on the year, including just seven in each of the last two games. Six Blazers are currently averaging in double figures in points, led by Tyrone Curnell at 14.6 a game. Likewise, six VSU players are shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top Florida Memorial 83-62

2008-11-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State built a 25-point first half lead en route to an 83-62 non-conference victory over Florida Memorial Wednesday evening at the P.E. Complex. The Blazers (4-1) shot 67.9 percent from the floor during the first as they never trailed in the ball game. VSU broke the game open just three minutes into the game as it used a 17-2 run to build a double-digit lead. With the score tied 4-4, Ray Cummings started the run with six straight points on a pair of lay-ups and a dunk while Tristan Crawford added a three-pointer from the top of the key before Florida Memorial's Jermaine Jones hit a jumper to close FMU (1-6) to within 13-6. VSU responded with another Cummings dunk followed by a Tyrone Curnell dunk before Ricardo Lewis hit a jumper in the lane. Marvin Dibble closed out the run with a lay-up on a fast break to give Valdosta State a 21-6 lead with 12:35 to go in the first half. The Fighting Lions closed to within 26-18 over the next three and a half minutes only to have the Blazers score 11 straight points to push their advantage to 19 points. The two teams played even for the next four minutes before a Christian Hunter three-point play and a Dibble three in the final 60 seconds of the half posted VSU to a 52-27 halftime lead. Florida Memorial once again cut into its deficit over the first eight minutes of the second half as Valdosta State was unable to find its shooting touch. The Blazers hit just three of their first 16 field goal attempts in the frame while FMU, who shot 11-of-26 from the floor in the first half, connected on eight of its first 12 shots to pull to within 60-45 with 11:48 remaining in the game. The Blazer lead shrank no lower the rest of the contest and was eventually pushed back above the 20-point mark with a 12-2 run late in the game. Three Valdosta State players just missed double-doubles in the game as Curnell had 14 points and nine rebounds while Dibble finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes of play. The junior hit all six of his field goal attempts and dished out one assist while recording one steal. Lewis tallied seven points and a career-best 10 assists while failing to turn the ball over in the contest. The Blazers backcourt tallied 17 assists against no turnovers in the game as all seven VSU turnovers came from post players. Crawford and Cummings also finished with double-digit points for VSU with 17 each as Valdosta State shot 50.8 percent from the floor by hitting 30-of-59 field goal attempts. The Blazers owned a 33-31 advantage in rebounding and dished out 21 assists while tallying 11 steals and four blocks in the game. Jones led the Fighting Lions with 17 points while George Gray finished with 11 and Andre Thomas 10. Thomas also tallied a team-high seven rebounds as FMU shot 43.4 percent from the floor. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, November 29 when it hosts St. Thomas at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Florida Memorial Game Notes

2008-11-25

Valdosta State and Florida Memorial tip off the Thanksgiving weekend as the Blazers host the Fighting Lions in the P.E. Complex Wednesday night. The Blazers are 3-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to fourth-ranked Florida Southern, while Florida Memorial is 1-5. Today's game marks the fifth meeting between the two schools. VSU owns a 4-0 edge in the all-time series, includnig a 100-85 victory last season in the P.E. Complex. Tyrone Curnell has tallied two double-doubles in the Blazers' first four games. He is averaging a double-double on the season at 14.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. Valdosta State has nearly twice as many assists as it does turnovers on the year as the Blazers have dished out 79 assists while turning the ball over just 42 times. VSU tallied just seven turnovers against Florida Southern. The Blazers blocked a season-high four shots against Florida Southern Saturday evening. That total brings VSU's block total to 10 on the season, seven of which have come in the last two games. Valdosta State's balance this season is evidenced by the fact that no Blazer is currently averaging more than 27 minutes a game while 10 are playing at least 10 minutes per outing. Click for Complete Game Notes

VSU, #2 Florida Southern Go Down to the Wire

2008-11-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Against the No. 2 team in the nation, Valdosta State did more than hold its own. The team almost won. In a thrilling, back-and-forth match with 14 lead changes the Blazers fell the Florida Southern Mocs in the closing moments by a score of 67-65 for their first loss on the season to go to 3-1. The loss wasn't for lack of effort. Tyrone Curnell double-doubled in the game with 23 points and 12 rebounds (five on the offensive glass). He was the only scorer to reach double digits for the Blazers, but Tristan Crawford and Marvin Dibble each put in eight points. Crawford passed out three assists to help Valdosta State dish out 12 overall on the night with two coming from three other players. Despite Florida Southern's 7-footer, Rashaad Singleton, the Blazers put back two more points than Florida Southern with 15 second chance points to the Mocs' 13. The entire game came down to the final five seconds. Valdosta State inbounded the ball and found Christian Hunter who had an open look for a brief moment. As he shot the jumper from the elbow, a Florida Southern defender rushed in from Hunter's right. Hunter's shot hit the back iron and the buzzer ended the game. For Florida Southern, John Thompson led in points with 15 while the Mocs had double digit contributions from Rob Eldridge (13) and Rion Rayfield (10). Zach Smith led the team in rebounding with seven and Eldridge passed out the most assists with three. VSU will next be in action against Florida Memorial at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex Wednesday night.

Basketball Notes vs. Fort Valley State

2008-11-19

Valdosta State returns to action as the Blazers host intra-state rival Fort Valley State in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers are 2-0 on the season, with a pair of 60-point victories, while Fort Valley State is playing its first game of the 2008-09 season. Today's game marks the seventh meeting between the two schools. VSU owns a 6-1 record in the all-time series, including an 82-65 victory last year. Valdosta State has begun the season with a pair of 100-point outings for the first time since the 1994-95 season and just the third time in the school's NCAA Division II history. Six Blazers have scored in double figures in each of Valdosta State's first two games. Four VSU players have tallied double figure points in each of the two games, including Christian Hunter, Tyrone Curnell, Tristan Crawford and Ricardo Lewis. Valdosta State has connected on 42.4 percent of its threes through the first two games, hitting 28-of-66 trifectas in the process. Seven Blazers have hit a three-pointer thus far, led by Christian Hunter who is 10-of-17 on the season. Tristan Crawford has dished out 10 assists on the season while turning the ball over just once. He has actually created more turnovers than he has caused as he has two steals on the year. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top Fort Valley State 87-59

2008-11-19

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State never trailed as the Blazers defeated Fort Valley State 87-59 in non-conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex. The game remained close through the first 14 minutes of play, with VSU (3-0) claiming a 24-21 early lead before a 12-3 run over the final 5:22 of play gave the Blazers a double digit halftime lead. Tyrone Curnell began the run with a jumper in the lane before Ricardo Lewis added two free throws for VSU. Marvin Dibble followed with a free throw of his own before Fort Valley State (0-1) got a jumper from Martrez Scott to cut the deficit back to six. However, De'Andre Johnson followed with a basket and Tristan Crawford hit a free throw while Dibble put VSU in front by 11 with a lay-up. A Scott free throw for the Wildcats cut the deficit back to 10 points for FVSU, but Dibble responded with a tip-in for Valdosta State. Scott closed out the first half with a pair of free throws to give VSU a 36-26 halftime lead. Fort Valley State closed to within 43-34 with 17:04 remaining in the game, only to have the Blazers use a 6-0 run to push the lead to double digits for good. Dibble spurred the run with a pair of baskets while Lewis added a bucket for VSU. The lead grew steadily throughout the rest of the second half as Valdosta State shot 57.6 percent from the floor during the frame while holding the Wildcats to 23.3 percent from the floor. Marquis Robinson gave VSU its first 20-point lead with a fast break basket with 7:34 to go while Johnson closed out the scoring with a three-pointer with time running out on the clock. Crawford led the Blazers with 16 points while Lewis finished with 14. Dibble and Robinson also finished with double figure points with 11 each while Curnell tallied a game-high 13 rebounds. VSU shot 49.3 percent from the floor in the game as it hit 34-of-69 of its field goal attempts and owned a 59-29 edge in rebounding. Scott finished with a game-high 25 points for the Wildcats while Darrell Aiken also scored in double figures with 16. FVSU shot just 28.1 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 16 of its 57 field goal attempts, but also hit 25-of-38 free throws and turned the ball over just nine times while recording 10 steals on 15 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, November 22 when it hosts No. 2 Florida Southern at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers Top Puerto Rico-Cayey 114-52

2008-11-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State shot 58.7 percent from the floor as the Blazers defeated Puerto Rico-Cayey 114-52 in non-conference basketball action at the P.E. Complex Sunday evening. The Blazers (2-0) used an 18-3 run early in the first half to break the game open. With VSU leading 11-8 three minutes into contest, Ray Cummings started the streak with a basket before Tristan Crawford scored on a lay-up. Cummings added another bucket and Ricardo Lewis also scored on a lay-in before PRC's Luis Soto hit a jumper. A Tyrone Curnell tip-in and Cummings lay-up pushed the Blazer advantage to 13 points before Marvin Dibble followed a Bull free throw with a three from the left corner. Dibble's second trifecta 85 seconds later closed out the run with VSU leading 29-11. The Valdosta State lead steadily grew the remainder of the first half, reaching 30 points on a Crawford basket with 1:57 to go in the frame before Puerto Rico-Cayey (0-2) used a brief 5-0 run to close to within 53-28. However, VSU responded with five of the final seven points of the half to lead 58-30 at the intermission. Curnell hit a three 30 seconds into the second half to push the Blazer lead over 30 for good while a 17-0 run over a four minute span pushed it above 50. Five different Blazers scored during the run, which ended with a De'Andre Johnson lay-up with 8:11 to go that gave VSU a 93-42 lead. Charles Belton put VSU over the century mark with a tip-ion with 5:36 remaining in the game and five straight points from Christian Hunter gave VSU its largest lead at 112-48 with 2:48 to go as Valdosta State registered its second 60-plus margin of victory in as many games. For the second straight night, six Blazers scored in double figures, led by Cummings who tallied a game-high 21. Belton added 18 points while Lewis poured in 13 and dished out five assists, against no turnovers. Curnell tallied 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds while Crawford registered 11 points and seven assists, without a turnover. Dibble also finished with double figure points with 10. The Blazers hit 44-of-75 field goals in the game and owned a 45-24 advantage in rebounding. They dished out 30 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times and recorded 12 steals in the game. Soto finished with 11 points to lead the Bulls while Emanuel Rivera scored 10. Puerto Rico-Cayey shot 37.3 percent (19-of-51) from the floor in the game and were hampered by 24 turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Wednesday, November 19 when its hosts in-state rival Fort Valley State at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Blazer Top Carver Bible 123-56

2008-11-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Six Valdosta State players scored in double-figures as the Blazers defeated Carver Bible 123-56 in non-conference basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. The game was never in doubt as Valdosta State (1-0) held the Cougars (0-6) without a field goal for the first 12:15 of play. Tristan Crawford opened the scoring with a lay-up six seconds into the contest before Ryan Nelson added a three for VSU. Ricardo Lewis added a basket before a Jeremy Davis free throw got CBC on the board. Valdosta State proceeded to score the next 13 points to push their lead to 20-1 with 12:52 remaining in the first half. Carver added five more free throw over the next five minutes while watching the Blazers push their advantage to 38-6 before Chris Dudley hit a jumper with 7:45 remaining in the half to end a 0-of-9 start from the floor for the Cougars. The two teams played even for the rest of the half before a Christian Hunter three and a Lewis tip-in in the last three minutes staked Valdosta State to a 55-20 halftime lead. Carver was again able to play even for the first seven minutes of the second half before VSU used a 21-7 run to push its advantage to 50 points. Six Blazers scored during the streak, with De'Andre Johnson, Marquis Robinson and Charles Belton leading the way with five points each. Johnson pushed the advantage to 50 points as he hit a three from the top of the key to give the Blazers a 98-48 lead with 8:20 remaining. Crawford's three with 7:34 to go put Valdosta State over the 100-point barrier while a Marvin Dibble tip-in with 1:14 remaining gave the Blazers their largest lead at 123-54. Hunter and Crawford led the way for VSU with 17 points each while Tyrone Curnell added 16 points, along with 11 rebounds, for his first career double-double. Nelson poured in 13 and Lewis 12 while Robinson finished with 10 points. Dibble tallied a team-high 13 rebounds as VSU claimed a 61-36 advantage in rebounding. Valdosta State shot 51.8 percent from the floor as it hit 44-of-85 field goals, including 15-of-39 (38.5 percent) three-pointers, in the game. The Blazers dished out 20 assists, against just 10 turnovers, while also tallying 17 steals in the game. Joshua Caston led Carver Bible with 14 points while Delta Leonard finished with 11. Reggie Anderson and Dudley also scored in double figures with 10 apiece. CBC shot 15-of-57 (26.3 percent) in the game and turned the ball over 26 times. Valdosta State returns to action Sunday, November 16 at 5:00 p.m. when it hosts Puerto Rico-Cayey in the P.E. Complex.

Carver Basketball Game Notes

2008-11-14

Valdosta State opens its 55th year of intercollegiate basketball as the Blazers host Carver Bible in the P.E. Complex. While the Blazers are playing their first game of the season, the Cougars have already played five games on the year. The season has not started out to Carver's liking as it is currently 0-5. This weekend's game marks the third straight season that Valdosta State has opened its schedule with Carver. VSU has won each of the last two years by an average score of 111.5 to 71.0, including a 93-80 victory in the P.E. Complex last season. Overall, the Blazers and Cougars have met seven times on the hardwood, with Valdosta State winning all seven of those contests. The series began in November 19, 2001 with a 95-32 VSU victory and the two teams have met every year since then. Valdosta State owns a 105.0 to 54.1 advantage in scoring in the series. The Blazers have won 36 of their previous 54 season openers, including 26 of 34 since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 1974-75. Head coach Mike Helfer has gone 2-1 in his three previous season openers. Radio: The game, along with all of Valdosta State's games during the 2008-09 season, will be carried live on the Valdosta State Radio Network. In the Valdosta area, the games can be hear live on Talk 92.1 FM with Mike Chason calling the action. The broadcast begins with the Blazer Basketball Pre-Game show 10 minutes prior to each tip-off. On the Web: Each Valdosta State game can be heard live over the internet at www.talk921.com. Additionally, selected VSU games throughout the season will be webcast at www.vstateblazers.tv. Dates of the webcasted contests includes: November 15, 16, 19, 22; January 15, 17, 31; and February 12, 19, 21 and 24. Head Coach Mike Helfer: Mike Helfer is in his fourth year as the head coach of the Blazers and has tallied a 55-31 record with the school. He has directed Valdosta State to second place finishes in the GSC East Divison in each of the last two seasons and has gone 23-15 against league competition. Overall, Helfer is in his 12th season as a head coach and owns a 241-114 record. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Begin 2008-09 Preseason Practice

2008-10-17

VALDOSTA, Ga. - With two days of practice under their belts, the Valdosta State men's basketball team continued its preparations for the 2008-09 season Friday as they took the floor for the third time as a squad. The team, which featured 12 new faces joining the four letterwinners returning off of 2007-08's 18-11 squad, spent the first couple of days of practice getting to know each other and acclimating itself to the pace of practices under third-year Head Coach Mike Helfer. "The coaching staff has been very pleased with the first two days of practice," said Helfer prior to Friday's session. "This group seems to have a very small learning curve and picks up on things very quickly, which can be a great benefit for us down the road." Chief among Helfer's concerns entering the new season of practice would be who would fill the shoes of team leader for the young squad. However, he has found his answer quickly as he pointed to role that senior Ray Cummings has taken in the early going. "Ray Cummings has really stepped up in terms of being a leader on our squad," Helfer continued. "What is so impressive with Ray, and I think why our guys are responding so well to him, is that he leads as much by his actions as he does vocally. He is one of the hardest workers on the team and he has made a point of showing the new guys what is expected to win." Friday's practice began with the Blazers learning that the Gulf South Conference coaches had picked Valdosta State to finish third in the GSC East Division, according to a poll conducted by the league office earlier in the week. North Alabama, who won the East Division in last season, was picked to repeat as division champs in 2008-09 while also being selected as the overall league champions. West Georgia was selected to finish second, tallying 25 votes to edge VSU by a single point. Montevallo was a point behind VSU and in four place while Alabama-Huntsville tallied 21 votes to finish fifth. West Florida was sixth with 13 votes while West Alabama rounded out the East Division's preseason rankings. "North Alabama earned respect last season and that is carrying over to this year," Helfer commented on the poll. "They were a very good team a year ago and should be again this season. I think the point totals in the poll shows just how balanced our league and division are from top to bottom. Our ranking was a little surprising, but I think it shows the respect our program has built in recent years that the other coaches voted us so high." Helfer's squad opens the 2008-09 season on Saturday, November 15 when it hosts Carver in the P.E. Complex at 8:00 p.m. The game is the first of 11 straight home contests for the Blazers.

Men's Basketball Golf Tournament Set for November 2-3

2008-10-07

The 2008 "Friends of VSU Men's Basketball Golf Classic and Auction" will be held Sunday, November 2 and Monday, November 3. Money raised from the event helps support the VSU Men's Basketball team and its student-athletes. Sunday's events will begin with a social hour from 5:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m. followed by a steak dinner and a chance to meet the 2008 Blazers. The live auction will begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday's golf tournament, which will be held at the Valdosta Country Club, begins with check-in at 1:00 p.m. with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. For more information and to sign up for the event, download the Golf Classic Brochure here or call 229-333-5904.

Men's Basketball Announces 2008-09 Schedule

2008-09-05

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Eighteen home games, including 11 straight to start the season, highlight the 2008-09 Valdosta State basketball schedule as announced by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer Friday. The Blazers tip-off the season on Saturday, November 15 when they host Carver in the P.E. Complex at 8:00 p.m. Over the ensuing four weeks, VSU plays 10 more games at home as its first road game of the year doesn't come until Saturday, December 20 when it plays Lynn in the first round of the Pepsi Doubletree Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. During the 11 game home stretch, Valdosta State hosts The Loop Pizza Grill Clasisc on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6. The Blazers face St. Leo in the first round of the tournament before facing off against Barry, who VSU will also face in the Pepsi Doubletree Classic, in the second game. The remaining home non-conference schedule includes Puerto Rico-Cayey on November 16, Fort Valley State November 19, Florida Southern November 22, Florida Memorial November 26, St. Thomas November 29, Georgia Southwestern December 1, Albany State December 13, Tampa December 16 and Flagler February 24. Beyond the two-game tournament in Boca Raton, Fla., VSU%u2019s only remaining non-conference road contest comes on December 30 when the Blazers travel to Columbus, Ga. to face Columbus State. "We have a challenging non-conference schedule this season," said Helfer in making the announcement. "Our fourth game of the year is against a team that won the Sunshine State regular season and tournament titles last year so that will be a test. "The schedule just kind of worked out with all the home games this year. We had a lot of people that owed us home games. Hopefully, we will be able to build some momentum during the stretch and make the P.E. Complex a tough place for opponents to come play. Our fans have been great the past couple of years in building that reputation for the Complex so we hope to keep that excitement and energy up this year." Valdosta State begins the Gulf South Conference portion of its schedule on January 10 when the Blazers visit Huntsville, Ala. and the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville. VSU returns home on January 15 to host West Georgia before welcoming reigning GSC East Division champion North Alabama to the Complex on January 17. After road games at West Alabama (January 22) and Montevallo (January 24), West Florida visits VSU on January 31. The Blazers play at North Alabama February 5 and West Georgia on February 7 before playing four of their final five regular season games at home. Alabama-Huntsville visits the P.E. Complex on February 12 followed by West Alabama February 19, Montevallo February 21 and the Flagler game on February 24. A trip to West Florida on February 28 closes out the regular season. The GSC Tournament, which will once again be played in Southaven, Miss., will be held March 4-8 while NCAA South Regional play is scheduled for March 14-17.

Hudson to Play in Collegiate Basketball Invite

2008-04-10

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State senior Devario Hudson has been named one of 65 players to compete in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational in Wadsworth, Ohio, April 24-26, according to an announcement made by McCarthy Sports, Inc. Thursday. The CBI gathers the top players from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA to compete in an eight-team tournament. Each team will play three games, culminating with a championship game. Additionally, 20 of the players will be selected to participate in an all-star game, which will be televised live on ESPNU on Saturday, April 26. Seniors from more than 1,000 schools were considered for the event and Hudson was one of 36 NCAA Division II players to be chosen for the Invitational. The Decatur, Ga. native averaged 16.5 points and 9.7 rebounds a game during the 2007-08 season while leading VSU to an 18-11 record. He also blocked a team-high 55 shots. Hudson will compete at the CBI as a member of the WRH Health System Team and will be coached by Notre Dame (Ohio) head coach Kevin Bille.

Pair of Blazers Earn Basketball Honors

2008-03-24

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A pair of Valdosta State men's basketball players have earned postseason recognition for their play during the 2007-08 season. Senior forward Devario Hudson was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-South District second team after averaging 16.5 points and 9.7 rebounds a game this season. The Decatur, Ga. native also blocked a team-high 55 shots and finishing third on the team with 24 steals. Hudson was one of four Gulf South Conference players to be named All-South District by the NABC. Meanwhile, sophomore guard Stephan Walton was honored by the GSC at the conclusion of the year as a member of the league's All-Tournament team. Walton scored 21 points in each of the Blazers%u2019 two GSC Tournament contests while also averaging 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He connected on 15-of-25 field goal attempts during the two contests, including six-of-10 three point shots, while playing 75 of a possible 85 minutes. Valdosta State completed its season with an 18-11 record and went 1-1 in the GSC tournament.

Blazers Fall 89-84 to Harding

2008-03-08

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Harding used an 15-2 run in the second half to defeat Valdosta State 89-84 in the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference men%u2019s basketball action Saturday evening in the DeSoto Civic Center. Harding (1811) led for just 11 seconds of the first half. Matt Hall opened the scoring with a basket 41 seconds into the contest before Stephan Walton put VSU in front with a three-pointer. A pair of Jacob Thies free throws six seconds later gave the Bison a one-point lead, but Devario Hudson responded with a three. After a Hall field goal evened the game, the Blazers (18-11) scored six of the next seven points. Ricky Coleman started the small run with a pair of jumpers while Walton scored on a pair of free throws. The VSU lead grew steadily over the next three minutes, reaching double digits on a Tristan Crawford jumper with 14:03 remaining in the frame. HU fought back, closing to within three on a Hall dunk five minutes later, but VSU responded with an 8-0 run to build its largest advantage. Ray Cummings started the run with a pair of free throws before Hudson added two baskets. DeAndre Washington closed out the spurt with a lay-up that posted VSU to a 38-27 lead. Harding again fought back and closed the half on a 12-4 run to trail 49-37 at the half. The first 90 seconds of the second half saw the score tied twice and the Bison grab their first lead of the second half on a Hall three. VSU rebounded and built a 73-66 advantage, on a Coleman jumper, with 10:06 to go in the game before HU began its game deciding run. Hall began the spurt with a three only to have Walton respond with a jumper. However, Kevin Brown hit two free throws and Hall hit another three while Steven Barnett gave the Bison the lead with a three-point play with 6:50 to go. Hall proceeded to hit another three while Chris Dixon closed out the spurt with a free throw to put Harding ahead 81-75. Two Coleman free throws with 58 seconds to go in the contest closed VSU to within one point, but Hall quickly answered with a jumper and HU hit four straight free throws to seal the victory. Walton scored 21 points to lead Valdosta State while Hudson finished with 20. Coleman also finished in double figures, tallying 16 points, as the Blazers shot 47.0 percent (31-of-66) in the contest. Hall scored 35 points for the Bison while Barnett finished with 15 and Dixon 11. HU connected on 28-of-66 field goal attempts (42.4 percent) and owned a 44-34 advantage in rebounding, the first time in 11 games VSU was out-rebounded.

Blazers Top Ouachita Baptist 81-79 in OT

2008-03-07

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Stephan Walton scored a career-high 21 points to lead Valdosta State to an 81-79 overtime victory over Ouachita Baptist in the quarterfinal round of the Gulf South Conference men's basketball tournament at the DeSoto Civic Center Friday afternoon. Walton led all scorers as he connected on eight-of-14 field goal attempts. The sophomore point guard, who played all 45 minutes in the contest, also pulled down six rebounds and dished out four assists while turning the ball over just two times. Valdosta State (18-10) started out fast as it scored 11 of the first 14 points of the game. Ricky Coleman began the scoring with a three before OBU's Memo Rodriguez responded with a trifecta. Devario Hudson promptly connected on a jumper and Jamahl Stokes added a three-point play for the Blazers while Hudson closed out the run with a three to put VSU up 11-3. The Tigers (19-9) whittled away at their deficit over the next 11 minutes before taking its first lead, at 26-24, on a Rodriguez three with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Rodriguez gave Ouachita Baptist its largest lead of the half just a minute later as he added another trifecta, which put OBU up 32-26, before settling for a 39-34 advantage at the half. Walton, who hit his first four field goal attempts, scored 12 points during the half while connecting on five-of-seven shots. Ouachita Baptist pushed its lead to seven early in the second half and eventually led 57-49, on a Jason Delamar lay-up with 10:57 remaining in regulation, before VSU put together a run to regain the lead. The Blazers scored 22 of the next 29 points of the contest to build a 71-64 advantage with 4:10 to go. Walton started the run with a pair of buckets before Hudson added a jumper and a pair of free throws to close VSU to within 60-57. The duo combined for 16 points during the spurt, which ended on back-to-back jumper by Hudson. OBU closed to within one with 1:46 to go in regulation and forced the overtime period with a Jaranimo Marks three with 20 seconds to go. Valdosta State never trailed in the overtime period as Hudson began the scoring with a lay-up before Ed Keyes evened the game with a dunk. Three Blazer free throws, one from Stokes and two from Tristan Crawford, put VSU back in front while Walton closed out the scoring with a charity shot with 12 seconds remaining. The Tigers had a chance to force a second overtime, but missed a jumper at the buzzer. Hudson scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the year. Crawford added 10 points and 10 rebounds while also dishing out seven assists and recording five steals. Coleman contributed 14 points for VSU while Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds and registered five of VSU's eight blocked shots in the game. The Blazers owned a 61-54 advantage in rebounding, their fifth 60-plus rebound game of the year, to overcome a 35.4 percent shooting night (28-of-79). Four Tigers scored in double figures, led by Marks with 20. Daniel Maddox added 15 points, Keyes 14 and Rodriguez 12. OBU also shot 35.4 percent (29-of-82) in the contest. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. when it faces Harding in the semifinal round of the tournament.

Blazers Earn GSC Honors

2008-03-06

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Four Valdosta State basketball players earned All-Gulf South Conference East Division recognition while a fifth was named the league's top freshman in a vote held by the GSC Coaches, according to an announcement made by the conference office Thursday. On the women's side, Carley Peterson earned first-team honors in the GSC East Division for the second straight year after leading Valdosta State in scoring at 10.3 points per game. The senior hit 74 three-pointers during the regular season and had 38 assists and 39 steals. Fellow senior Nina Risto was named to the second-team All-Conference squad after averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The VSU men's team placed two members on the All-Gulf South Conference first-team. Devario Hudson, who was second-team All-GSC last season, moved up to the first team after ranking in the top 10 in the league in points, at 16.3 per game, rebounds (9.6) and blocked shots (1.9). He was joined on the first team by Ricky Coleman, who led the Blazers in scoring with 17.7 points per game while hitting 64 threes. Valdosta State's DeAndre Washington earned recognition as the GSC East Division Freshman-of-the-Year. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds a game while playing in 24 games during the regular season.

Gulf South Conference Tournament Basketball Notes

2008-03-04

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State opens play in the 2008 Gulf South Conference tournament as the Blazers face Ouachita Baptist in the quarterfinals on Friday at 3:45 p.m. VSU enters the game with a 17-10 overall record and an 8-4 GSC mark while the Tigers are 19-8 and a 10-4 league record. The Blazers enter the tournament as the East Division's No. 2 seed while OBU enters the game as the West's No. 3. The Tigers actually tied for the West Division regular season crown with Harding and Christian Brothers, but are fell to the No. 3 seed due to conference tie-breakers. Ricky Coleman tallied his 12th 20-point game of the season when he scored 22 points in a 65-42 win over West Florida Saturday. He was the only player in the game to score in double figures as he hit eight-of-15 field goal attempts, including six-of-11 three-pointers. Coleman also grabbed seven rebounds in the game. The Blazers held West Florida to 25.0 percent shooting and 42 points in its regular season finale. UWF hit just 15-of-60 field goal attempts, including 6-of-32 in the first half (18.8 percent). The 42 points were the fewest by a VSU opponent since Carver scored 40 on December 13, 2004. The 2008 Gulf South Conference Tournament marks the 14th time that Valdosta State has participated in the league tournament. The Blazers are 7-13 in its previous 13 appearances. After starting out 1-7 away from its home court of the P.E. Complex, including a loss in its only neutral court game of the year, Valdosta State has rebounded to go 3-1 in its last four road trips. The Blazers have out-rebounded nine of their last 10 opponents. Only West Florida has grabbed more boards than the Blazers over the course of the last month as it owned a 45-43 advantage on February 2. VSU owns a 44.7 to 31.7 advantage in rebounding in the last 10 games. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Down West Florida 65-42

2008-03-01

Valdosta, Ga. - Ricky Coleman scored 22 points to lead Valdosta State to a 65-42 win over West Florida in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. Both teams struggled from the floor during the game as the Blazers (17-10, 8-4) shot 32.8 percent (22-of-67) while the Argonauts (13-14, 3-9) managed just 25.0 percent (15-of-60) from the floor. VSU never trailed as it scored 16 of the first 19 points of the contest. Stephan Walton scored on a fast break lay-up after a steal to open the scoring before Jamahl Stokes hit one-of-two free throw attempts. UWF forced the only tie with a three-point play from Kenny Holmes, but Coleman proceeded to hit a three to put Valdosta State back in front. Stokes wrapped a free throw and a tip-in around a Tristan Crawford free throw before Coleman hit two more threes to give VSU a 16-3 advantage with 13:05 remaining in the first half. West Florida closed to within 21-12 over the next six minutes, but was held scoreless until Max Hoggard hit a lay-up and added a free throw with less than a free throw remaining in the half. The Argonauts missed 11 shots during the scoreless span, but Valdosta State managed to connect on just three-of-15 field goal attempts during the same time frame. The Blazers owned a 32-15 lead after the first 20 minutes of play, during which VSU connected on 10-of-36 field goal attempts (27.8 percent) while UWF scored on just six-of-32 shots (18.8 percent). Valdosta State used a 13-0 run early in the second half to build a 30-point advantage and saw its lead cap out at 54-22, on an Anthony Passmore tip-in with 8:58 remaining. The Argonauts closed to within 22 points with 1:22 remaining as both teams emptied their benches. Coleman hit eight-of-15 field goal attempts, including six-of-11 threes, as he was the only player to score in double-figures in the game. VSU owned a 62-38 advantage in rebounding, its fourth 60-plus rebounding game of the year, and had eight steals. The win earned Valdosta State the No. 2 seed out of the East Division in the upcoming GSC Tournament, which begins on Wednesday. The Blazers will play West Division No. 3 seed Ouachita Baptist at 3:45 p.m. Eastern on Friday, March 7. Clay Sidner and Hoggard tallied nine points each off the bench to lead the Argonauts. UWF%u2019s 42 points marked a season-low for a Blazer opponent and was the fewest by a VSU opponent since Carver finished with 40 on December 13, 2004.

Blazers Top Montevallo 81-66

2008-02-25

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Ricky Coleman scored 24 points to lead Valdosta State to an 81-66 Gulf South Conference victory over Montevallo in men's basketball at the Student Activity Center Monday evening. The first half was closely fought as it featured eight ties and five lead changes. The Falcons (11-15, 4-7) grabbed the largest lead of the half as they used an 8-2 run over a two and a half minute span to build a 16-10 advantage. Terrill Humphrey opened the run with a three before Brian Carlyle added a jumper. After Coleman cut the VSU deficit back to three points with a basket, Eric Turner added a three for the six-point UM lead. VSU (16-10, 7-4) fought back, scoring the next eight points to regain the lead. Ray Cummings wrapped a pair of baskets around a Coleman lay-in to tie the game while Jamahl Stokes put Valdosta State in front with a dunk with 10:06 to go in the first half. Montevallo regained a four-point advantage over the next seven minutes, only to have the Blazers close the half on an 11-4 run to build a 42-39 halftime lead. DeAndre Washington and Devario Hudson gave VSU the lead with a pair of threes before Cummings hit a free throw. Humphrey and Jonathon Hewitt wrapped four free throws around a Hudson jumper while Stephan Walton hit a jumper at the buzzer to give Valdosta State its three-point halftime advantage. The Blazers never trailed in the second half as they scored 15 of the first 23 points of the frame to build a 10-point advantage. Coleman scored 12 of the 15 points, including the final six on a three-point play and a trifecta to put VSU up 57-47 with 14:07 to go in the contest. The Falcons cut their deficit to four over the next two minutes, only to have Tristan Crawford score five straight points for the Blazers to up the VSU lead back to nine. The Valdosta State lead hovered between nine and 14 over the next eight minutes before the Blazers closed the game on a 10-4 spurt. Coleman hit 10-of-24 field goal attempts in the game and pulled down five rebounds. Crawford added 13 points while Hudson and Cummings finished with 10 for the Blazers, who shot 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor in the game. VSU blocked five shots in the game, including four from Stokes, and owned a 42-32 advantage in rebounding. Humphrey tallied 21 points to lead the Falcons while Turner had 16 and Hewitt 11. The Falcons connected on just 23-of-59 field goal attempts, a 39.0 success rate in the game. Valdosta State closes out the 2007-08 regular season when it hosts West Florida Saturday, March 1 in the P.E. Complex. The Blazer seniors will be honored prior to the contest, which is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off.

Blazers Down West Alabama 80-68

2008-02-23

LVINGSTON, Ala. - Devario Hudson recorded his 12th double-double of the season to lead Valdosta State to an 80-68 Gulf South Conference men's basketball win over West Alabama Saturday afternoon at Pruitt Hall. Hudson scored 21 points and pulled down 12 rebounds while also dishing out a team-high four assists in the contest. Ricky Coleman added 16 points for the Blazers while Stephan Walton had 13 and Ray Cummings 10. The two teams played even for the first six minutes of the game before the Tigers (9-16, 2-8) scored four straight points to grab their largest lead at 13-9. UWA held its advantage for the next six minutes before Valdosta State (15-10, 6-4) used a 17-4 run to close the half to grab a lead it would not relinquish. Trailing 22-20, VSU's Anthony Passmore forced the fourth tie of the first half with a jumper before Hudson gave the Blazers the lead with a basket. Coleman followed with a jumper of his own and Artis Young added a lay-up before Brian Murphy hit two free throws for West Alabama. Coleman added another jumper and Walton added five points with a lay-in and a three-point play. Walton added two more free throws while Murphy hit a lay-up with five seconds to go in the half as VSU built a 37-26 halftime lead. After a Coleman jumper opened the scoring in the second half, UWA responded with 10 straight points to close to within three. Michael Billings opened the Tiger spurt with a jumper before Taige Adderley added a basket. Tyler Roden proceeded to hit back-to-back threes to cut the Blazer lead to 39-36 with 16:43 to go in the game. The VSU advantage grew by just one point over the next six minutes before the Blazers used an 11-0 run to build a double-digit. Jamahl Stokes began the spurt with a pair of free throws before Hudson hit a three. Hudson and Tristan Crawford proceeded to add a pair of baskets while Coleman ended the run with a dunk for a 64-49 advantage. West Alabama got no closer than nine, at 73-64, the rest of the game as the Blazers hit nine-of14 free throws in the final two and a half minutes. Valdosta State shot 51.8 percent from the floor in the game as it hit 29-of-56 field goal attempts in the contest. The Blazers owned a 36-28 advantage in rebounding and forced the Tigers into 24 turnovers. Billings led UWA with 16 points while Roden finished with 12. Murphy added 11 points and Adderley 10 for the Tigers, who hit 26-of-53 field goal attempts (49.1 percent). Murphy also dished out a team-high five assists, but also turned the ball over eight times. With the win, Valdosta State secured a spot in the 2008 Gulf South Conference Tournament, which is scheduled for March 5-9 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, February 25 when it visits Montevallo for a 7:30 p.m. tip.

West Alabama Game Notes

2008-02-21

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State hits the road for the final time during the 2007-08 regular season as the Blazers travel to Livingston, Ala. to play Gulf South Conference foe West Alabama. The Blazers enter the contest at 14-10 overall and 5-4 in the GSC while the Tigers are 9-15 and 2-7 in league play. Valdosta State enters the game with a magic number of two (2) for reaching the 2008 Gulf South Conference tournament, meaning any combination of two wins by VSU and/or losses by Montevallo OR West Florida will ensure the Blazers a spot in the tournament. Montevallo and West Florida meet on Saturday, meaning the number will be no higher than one by the end of play on Saturday. Only North Alabama is ensured one of the East Division's spots in the 2008 GSC Tournament entering the weekend%u2019s play, but Valdosta State, West Georgia and Alabama-Huntsville can all clinch this weekend. Ricky Coleman established new career-highs in both points and rebounds in the Blazers%u2019 99-70 win over Reinhardt Wednesday evening. Coleman completed the game with 33 points, the most by a VSU player this season, and 11 rebounds, his first career double-double. The senior guard has now recorded a team-high 10 20-point games this season. Coleman wasn't the only Blazer to record a double-double against the Eagles. Tristan Crawford also registered his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-best 15 rebounds while Devario Hudson finished with 17 points and 11 boards, marking the 11th time this year and the 21st in his career that he posted double figures in both points and rebounds. Valdosta State has out-rebounded its last four opponents by an average of 47.2 per game to 28.8 per outing. After being out-rebounded in four of their first nine contests, the Blazers have out-rebounded 12 of their last 15 opponents. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top Reinhardt 99-70

2008-02-20

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Ricky Coleman scored a career-high 33 points and recorded his first double-double by pulling down 11 rebounds to lead Valdosta State to a 99-70 victory over Reinhardt Wednesday evening at the P.E. Complex. Coleman was one of three Blazers to register a double-double in the contest as he was joined by Tristan Crawford, who scored 18 points and recorded 15 rebounds, and Devario Hudson, who finished with 17 points and 11 boards. VSU (14-10) grabbed control of the game in the first half as Reinhardt (5-22) connected on just one of its first 18 field goal attempts. The Eagles' cold start helped Valdosta State build a 31-3 advantage over the course of the first 11 minutes of the game. Coleman scored 11 points during the run while Hudson and Crawford added five each. The Blazers connected on 13-of-20 field goal attempts during the run. Reinhardt closed to within 39-16 over the next four minutes only to have Valdosta State build a 58-56 halftime lead. The VSU lead grew to as much as 41, at 90-49 with 6:01 remaining in the second half before the Eagles used four straight threes to post a 12-2 run. Kevin Nordeen hit the final three trifectas while a Preston Powell lay-up with 54 seconds remaining closed out the scoring. Ray Cummings also scored in double figures for the Blazers as he tallied 19 points off the bench as Valdosta State shot 35-of-65 from the floor (53.8 percent). VSU owned a 62-27 advantage in rebounding in the contest and blocked seven shots in the game. Powell and Victor Stowes led Reinhardt with 12 points each while Donovan McMullen pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. The Eagles connected on 21-of-67 field goal attempts (31.3 percent) and registered 11 steals on 17 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, February 22 when it re-enters Gulf South Conference play with a game at West Alabama at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Reinhardt Game Notes

2008-02-20

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State plays its final non-conference game of the 2007-08 regular season as the Blazers host NAIA's Reinhardt College at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.VSU enters the contest at 13-10 overall while the Eagles are 5-22. Reinhardt is coached by Jeffrey Pourchier, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Valdosta State. Pourchier took over as the Eagle head man in July of 2007. Artis Young has made the most of his playing time in the five games in which he has seen action. Young has pulled down five rebounds, dished out three assists and blocked three shots while averaging 4.6 minutes per game in those five games. Valdosta State has out-rebounded its last three opponents by an average of 42.3 per game to 29.3 per outing. After being out-rebounded in four of their first nine contests, the Blazers have been out-rebounded in just three of their last 14 outings. Valdosta State leads the Gulf South Conference with 43.0 rebounds per game and is second in rebounding margin at 5.9 per game. Ricky Coleman scored a team-high 20 points at North Alabama on Saturday, marking the ninth time this season, and the ninth in his career, that Coleman has scored 20 points in a game. Valdosta State's magic number for reaching the 2008 Gulf South Conference tournament is now two (2), meaning any combination of two wins by VSU and/or losses by Montevallo or West Florida will ensure the Blazers a spot in the tournament. Montevallo and West Florida meet on Saturday, meaning the number will be sliced to one by the end of play on Saturday. Only North Alabama is ensured one of the East Division's spots in the 2008 GSC Tournament at this point, but Valdosta State, West Georgia and Alabama-Huntsville can all clinch this weekend. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Fall 94-82 to North Alabama

2008-02-16

FLORENCE, Ala. - Three North Alabama players scored 20 or more points as the Lions defeated Valdosta State 94-82 in Gulf South Conference men%u2019s basketball action at Flowers Hall Saturday afternoon. Quinn Beckwith and Thomas Fraise finished with 21 points apiece while Casey Holt tallied 20 for the Lions (20-7, 7-2). Beckwith and Fraise teamed up early in the game to give UNA a lead it would not relinquish. Tristan Crawford opened the scoring with a jumper for Valdosta State (13-10, 5-4) only to have Beckwith hit a three just 12 seconds later. After a Jamahl Stokes jumper for VSU, Beckwith added his second trifecta and Holt hit a jumper before Fraise added a three-point play and a lay-in for a 13-4 UNA lead. VSU sliced its deficit back to five over the next two minutes, only to have the Lions respond with 11 of the next 14 points to build a double-digit lead. The North Alabama lead grew to as much as 35-19 with 7:25 remaining in the first half and Valdosta State closed to within 42-32 six minutes later as the Lions built a 49-35 halftime lead. UNA pushed its lead to 22 just six minutes into the second half as it scored 18 of the first 28 points of the frame. The Lions led by as much as 24 three times during the remaining 14 minutes before a late VSU run closed out the scoring. With the Blazers trailing 92-68, Crawford hit a jumper and Ricky Coleman a three before Dusko Stojnic hit a hook shot for the Lions. Coleman added a put-back basket and Stephan Walton and DeAndre Washington wrapped a pair of threes around a Crawford free throw as time expired on the VSU comeback bid. Coleman led the Blazers with 22 points while Crawford had 16 and Devario Hudson 14. VSU shot 49.2 percent in the game as it hit 32-of-65 field goal attempts, but were hampered by 18 turnovers, 14 of which came in the decisive first half. Valdosta State blocked five shots and owned a 41-34 advantage in rebounding in the contest. Kenny Johnson also registered double-digit points for the Lions as he poured in 10. North Alabama connected on 36-of-72 field goal attempts (50.0 percent) and registered eight steals while turning the ball over just 11 times. Valdosta State returns to action Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m. when it hosts Reinhardt in the P.E. Complex.

North Alabama Game Notes

2008-02-14

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State begins a three-game road trip in Gulf South Conference play as the Blazers travel to Florence, Ala. to face North Alabama. VSU is 13-9 on the year and 5-3 in GSC play while the Lions are 19-7 and 6-2 in league action. Devario Hudson scored a career-high 32 points in Valdosta State's last outing, a 79-78 last second defeat to West Georgia. The senior forward hit 12-of-17 field goal attempts, including six-of-eight threes, and recorded his 10th double-double of the year with 11 rebounds in the contest. Valdosta State has blocked 18 shots in its last two games thanks to the defensive play of Jamahl Stokes and Devario Hudson. Stokes blocked nine shots in the two contests while Hudson tallied six. VSU is now averaging 4.8 blocks per game on the season. Valdosta State enjoyed its best shooting night of the season against the Wolves as it hit 56.6 percent of its field goal attempts. The Blazers were successful on 30-of-53 field goal attempts, including 8-of-12 threes (66.7 percent). Valdosta State has shown signs of emerging from a shooting slump that hampered its efforts in the middle part of the 2007-08 schedule. Over the last five games, VSU has shot 46.0 percent from the floor. Four Blazers -- Jamahl Stokes (59.4), Ray Cummings (53.8), Devario Hudson (51.4) and Tristan Crawford (51.4) -- are shooting better than 50.0 percent from the floor during that span. Only Cummings and Stokes shoot better than 50.0 percent from the floor on the year. Valdosta State out-rebounded Alabama-Huntsville and West Georgia by an average of 43.0 to 27.0 last week. VSU has now won the rebounding battle in six of eight GSC games. Click for Complete Game Notes

West Georgia Edges Blazers 79-78

2008-02-11

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Terrence Hundley's jumper with 2.5 second remaining capped a come-from-behind bid by West Georgia as the Wolves topped Valdosta State 79-78 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. The Wolves (13-9, 5-3) trailed by as much as 18 in the first half and by five with 2:20 remaining in the contest, but held the Blazers (13-9, 5-3) to just two free throws in the final two minutes to set up Hundley shot in the lane. With VSU up 76-71, Doug Daniels closed UWG to within two with a three from the left corner before Stephan Walton connected on one-of-two free throws to push the VSU lead back to three. Hundley followed with a three from the top of the key just 10 seconds later to even the contest. Jamahl Stokes put the Blazers back in front with a free throw with 23 seconds to go in the contest, forcing a Wolf timeout. Hundley dribbled down the clock after the timeout, before driving into the lane and shooting a high-arcing shot over Stokes for the game winner. The comeback bid ruined the best shooting night of the year for Valdosta State, which hit 56.6 percent (30-of-53) of its field goals in the contest. VSU shot 18-of-32 (56.3 percent) from the floor in the first half, during which it led by 18 on three different occasions. The Blazers scored the first 10 points of the game as Devario Hudson hit a pair of threes and a jumper in the first four minutes of play. The VSU lead continued to grow over the next seven minutes, reaching 28-10 on a Ray Cummings jumper with 9:37 to go in the half. The Wolves closed to within 12 on two different occasions as Valdosta State claimed a 43-29 halftime lead. The Blazers maintained their double digit lead for the first six and a half minutes of the second half before West Georgia used a 13-2 run to tie the game at 60-60. Paul Harper scored four points during the run while Daniels poured in seven. VSU rebounded from the UWG surge and scored 10 of the next 12 points, building a 70-62 advantage on a Tristan Crawford free throw with 5:33 remaining and led 76-71 on a Hudson three with 2:20 remaining before the game-deciding spurt by the Wolves. Hudson hit 12-of-17 field goal attempts, including six-of-eight threes, to score a career-high 32 points. He registered his 10th double-double of the season as he also pulled down 11 rebounds while also blocking three shots. Ricky Coleman added 22 points, hitting nine-of-16 field goal attempts. The Blazers were hampered by 22 turnovers in the contest, but owned a 39-31 advantage in rebounding. Daniels scored 25 points to lead the Wolves while Harper tallied 23 and Hundley 14. West Georgia shot 43.3 percent (29-of-67) from the floor in the game, but hit 18-of-33 shots (54.5 percent) in the decisive second half. UWG turned the ball over just 11 times in the contest and registered 11 steals. The win marked the first for the Wolves in Valdosta since January 29, 2000. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, February 16 when it continues GSC play at North Alabama. Tip-off is slated for 4:00 p.m.

West Georgia Game Notes

2008-02-11

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State looks to avenge its second straight Gulf South Conference defeat as the Blazers host West Georgia at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. VSU enters the game at 13-8 and 5-2 in GSC play while West Georgia is 12-9 and 4-3 in league action. The Blazers avenged their only other GSC defeat Saturday night when they topped Alabama-Huntsville 78-63. Tristan Crawford scored a career-best 25 points in the game. Valdosta State blocked season-best 10 shots against the Chargers Saturday night. Jamahl Stokes tallied five of the blocks while Devario Hudson finished with three. Hudson now has 101 blocks in his VSU career. The Blazers also doubled-up the Chargers in rebounding in the game as they finished with 47 as compared to Alabama-Huntsville's 23. The 23 rebounds marked a season-low for a Valdosta State opponent. Valdosta State has won seven straight games against the Wolves in Valdosta. UWG's last victory in the P.E. Complex came on January 29, 2000, when it defeated the Blazers 81-70. The Blazers' success on the season can be widely attributed to VSU's play in the second half of games. Valdosta State is shooting 48.2 percent from the floor in the second half of its 21 games, as opposed to 40.3 percent in the first half. Valdosta State's defense has been especially tough in Gulf South Conference games as the Blazers have allowed only one team to score more than 70 points in VSU's first seven league games. North Alabama tallie 86 points in the GSC opener, a game that went into overtime. Valdosta State's remaining six games have seen opponents score 64, 67, 62, 69, 65 and 63. Opponents are averaging 68.0 points a game in GSC action. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Defeat Alabama-Huntsville 78-63

2008-02-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State used a 16-0 run over a six and a half minute span of the second half to claim a 78-63 victory over Alabama-Huntsville in Gulf South Conference men%u2019s basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. The Blazers (13-8, 5-2) led 35-34 at the half only to have the Chargers (12-10, 5-2) score eight of the first 12 points of the second half to claim a 42-39 advantage before VSU began the game deciding run. Devario Hudson began the spurt with a three before Anthony Passmore scored on a coast-to-coast fast break lay-up. Jamahl Stokes and Ray Cummings wrapped a pair of put-back baskets around a Ricky Coleman free throw to push the VSU lead to 49-42. Coleman proceeded to hit a basket before Tristan Crawford scored a pair of baskets to post the Blazers to a 55-42 lead. UAH responded with four straight points to cut its deficit to nine only to have Valdosta State respond with eight straight to build its largest lead at 63-46 with 8:03 remaining in the game. The Chargers got no closer than 11 the rest of the game. The two teams played even through the first four minutes of the game before VSU grabbed control of the contest with a 9-3 spurt to go up 17-10 nine minutes into the contest. The Chargers took advantage of foul trouble by Hudson and Coleman to close to within one three different times the remainder of the half, but was unable to grab the lead. The Blazers used a balanced attack, which saw seven of the 10 players that played in the half score, to fend repeated charges in grabbing their one point halftime lead. Crawford scored a season-best 25 points off the bench to lead VSU. The sophomore hit 11-of-16 field goal attempts and also registered six rebounds and two steals in the game. Coleman scored 15 points while Hudson finished with 14 and three blocks. Stokes tallied a game-high 13 rebounds and finished with five of Valdosta State's 10 blocks. The Blazers shot 48.5 percent from the floor in the game as they connected on 33-of-68 field goal attempts. They also owned a 47-23 advantage in rebounding and recorded 11 steals while turning the ball over just eight times. Tyler Dunaway scored 14 points to lead Alabama-Huntsville while Cody Jones tallied 11. The Chargers shot 42.6 percent (20-of-47) in the contest. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, February 11 when it hosts West Georgia at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. VSU's 2007 national championship football team will be honored at halftime of the game.

Alabama-Huntsville Game Notes

2008-02-08

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State returns to action after a week off as the Blazers host Alabama-Huntsville at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. VSU enters the game with a 12-8 overall record and a 4-2 mark in GSC play while the Chargers are 12-9 and 5-1. Valdosta State's last loss came at the hands of the Alabama-Huntsville as the Chargers topped the Blazers 67-55 in Huntsville on January 21. After losing three of their four contests that were decided by a bucket or less, the Blazers have now won their last two outings by a combined three points. VSU downed Montevallo 70-69 on January 28 and defeated West Florida 67-65 last weekend. Jamahl Stokes registerd his second double-double of the season against the Argonauts as he scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds. The two double-doubles match Stokes' total from the 2006-07 season. Valdosta State%u2019s seven blocks at West Florida last Saturday marked the 10th time in 20 games this season that the Blazers have blocked at least five shots in one game. Conversley, only twice has VSU not blocked a shot in a game. Tristan Crawford made a VSU season-high nine free throws, on 11 attempts, in the Blazers%u2019 67-65 win over West Florida. Eight of the nine succesful attempts, and just one of the misses, came in the final five minutes of the contest. Valdosta State's defense has been especially tough in Gulf South Conference games as the Blazers have allowed only one team to score more than 70 points in VSU's first six league games. North Alabama tallie 86 points in the GSC opener, a game that went into overtime. Valdosta State's remaining five games have seen opponents score 64, 67, 62, 69 and 65. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top West Florida 67-65

2008-02-02

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Valdosta State built a double digit first half lead and then withstood a second half West Florida comeback bid as the Blazers defeated the Argonauts 67-65 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the UWF Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon. Ricky Coleman opened the scoring with a three for VSU before Deondre Boynton evened the contest with a three. Coleman came right back with another three and Jamahl Stokes added a pair of jumpers as the Blazers (12-8, 4-2). After a second three by Boynton, Stephan Walton and Ray Cummings hit a pair of trifectas for VSU, giving the Blazers their first double digit lead with 14:07 to go in the first half. The Valdosta State advantage grew to as much as 15, at 23-8 on a Devario Hudson three. The Argonauts closed to within 30-24 with 2:56 to go in the frame as Valdosta State led 36-28 at the half. The Argonauts continued to cut into their deficit early in the second half, tying the game at 45-45 with 10:17 remaining and eventually claiming a 52-50 lead two minutes later only to have Hudson finish off a three-point play on VSU's next time down the floor to give the Blazers the lead for good. Valdosta State pushed their lead to as much as five, on a pair of Tristan Crawford free throws, with 4:55 remaining. Crawford added six more free throws in the closing minutes of the game, including two with nine seconds remaining to round out the VSU scoring in the game. West Florida's Josh Jackson hit a three with five seconds to go, but the Argonauts were unable to come up with a steal on the in-bounds pass, allowing VSU to run out the clock. Hudson led the Blazers with 16 points while Coleman had 14 and Crawford 11. Stokes recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year and tallied three of VSU's eight blocks. The Blazers hit just 23-of-65 field goal attempts (35.4 percent), but were 12-of-14 from the free throw line (85.7 percent). Boynton led all scorers with 18 points while Ryan Henry had 15 and Charles Bouie 14. Kenny Holmes tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Argonauts held a 45-43 advantage in rebounding. UWF hit 28-of-71 field goal attempts (39.4 percent), but was successful on just 1-of-4 free throw attempts. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, February 9 when it hosts Alabama-Huntsville at 8:00 p.m. in Gulf South Conference action.

West Florida Game Notes

2008-02-01

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State wraps up its first trip through the Gulf South Conference as the Blazers travel to Pensacola, Fla. to face West Florida. VSU enters the game with an 11-8 overall record and a 3-2 mark in GSC play while the Argonauts are 11-8 and 1-4. The last contest between these two schools was an exciting 98-92 Blazer win in triple overtime, a game that concluded the 2006-07 regular season for both squads. Ricky Coleman hit a jumper with 7.7 seconds remaining Monday evening against Montevallo to propel the Blazers to a 70-69 victory. The win snapped a five-game VSU losing streak in the series and helped VSU to improve to 2-3 in games decided by less than five points. Devario Hudson snapped out of his recent shooting slump against the Falcons as he hit 11-of-18 field goal attempts in the game. Hudson had scored on just 24-of-80 shots in VSU's previous four games, a 30.0 field goal percentage. Hudson needs just four more blocks to reach 100 for his career. He blocked 60 field goals last season and currently has 36 this year. Jon Rogers was the last Blazer to block 100 shots in this career, tallying 195 from 2002 through 2006. DeAndre Washington made the most of his 14 minutes against Montevallo, despite scoring just five points. He also pulled down four rebounds, dished out four assists and registered a steal. The 14 minutes were the most by Washington since playing 16 versus St. Thomas on January 5. Valdosta State has done a better job of handling the ball the last three games as the Blazers have turned the ball over an average of 11.0 per game in that span. VSU averaged 16.6 turnovers a game in its first 16 contests (265 turnovers). Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Edge Montevallo 70-69

2008-01-28

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Ricky Coleman's jumper with 7.7 seconds left proved to be the game winner as Valdosta State defeated Montevallo 70-69 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. Montevallo (9-10, 2-3) took the lead with 1:16 to go in the contest when Eric Turner nailed a three from the right corner. On the Blazers' next trip down the floor, Coleman rebounded a missed Tristan Crawford three, but had the ball stripped by Turner. After a timeout, the Falcons attempted to run down the clock, but Terrill Humphrey's errant pass gave VSU (11-8, 3-2) the ball back with 16 seconds to go. After a Valdosta State timeout, Coleman took a pass from Stephan Walton and drove to the right baseline, where he pulled up for a 10-foot jumper that bounced off the backside of the rim and dropped in for the winning basket. Montevallo led for all but 10 seconds of the first half as they opened the game on a 16-8 run. Tauras Dortch opened the game with a three before Coleman answered with a jumper for the Blazers. Jamahl Stokes gave VSU its first lead with a tip-in, but Dortch quickly added his second three of the game. After a Devario Hudson jumper evened the game, Humphrey and Dortch wrapped a pair of trifectas around two Ray Cummings' free throws. Humphrey quickly added lay-up while Turner finished the run with a pair of free throws with 16:16 to go in the first half. The Falcon lead reached double digits on a Brian Carlyle three-point play with 8:47 remaining in the frame and eventually stretched to as much as 33-18 before the Blazers began to fight back. VSU closed the half on a 13-2 run, which ended with a Coleman three with 40 seconds remaining in the frame that cut the Valdosta State deficit to 35-31 at the half. Montevallo held on to the lead for the first five and a half minutes of the second half before the Blazers eventually evened the game at 43-43 on a Hudson dunk. The game remained even for the next four minutes before VSU grabbed its largest lead with a 12-4 spurt that covered three minutes of play. Hudson scored seven points during the run which ended with the Blazers leading 64-56 with 5:24 remaining. An ensuing 13-4 Falcon run set up Coleman's game winning shot. Hudson led Valdosta State with 24 points and eight rebounds while also blocking two shots. Coleman added 19 points for the Blazers, who shot 48.3 percent (29-of-60) in the contest. VSU also owned a 35-28 advantage in rebounding. Humphrey led Montevallo with 19 points while Anthony Brown and Dortch finished with 15 each. Turner also scored in double digits, tallying 10 points, as the Falcons shot 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the floor. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, February 2 when it continues Gulf South Conference play at West Alabama. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST.

Montevallo Game Notes

2008-01-28

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State continues Gulf South Conference play as the Blazers host Montevallo at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. VSU enters the game with a 10-8 overall record and a 2-2 mark in GSC play while the Falcons are 9-9 and 2-2. The Blazers look to snap a five-game losing streak against Montevallo, a streak that stretches back to the 2004-05 season when VSU won 64-62 on January 24, 2005. Jamahl Stokes scored a season-high 17 points against West Alabama Saturday night. He hit all seven of his field goal attempts and also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. It marked the first time this season and just the second time in his career that Stokes led the Blazers in scoring. For just the second time this season the Blazers had five players score in double figures when it beat West Alabama 74-62 Saturday night. In addition to Stokes%u2019 17, Ricky Coleman had 16, Ray Cummings and Devario Hudson 12 each and Tristan Crawford 11. Jamahl Stokes has boosted the Valdosta State defense since his return to the squad on December 10. VSU's 11 opponents over that time are shooting a combined 39.3 percent and Stokes has blocked 20 shots in those games, tops on the team. A walk-on that joined the Valdosta State team at Christmas last season, Stephan Walton has provided a steady hand at the point guard position for the Blazers this season. Walton has started 10 games and is leading the team with 65 assists. He has turned the ball over just 47 times, for a 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio. Devario Hudson has recorded double-doubles in each of his last three games and now has a team-best nine on the year. He has registered 19 double-doubles in his two years with VSU. Click For Complete Game Notes

Blazers Top West Alabama 74-62

2008-01-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Jamahl Stokes was a perfect seven-of-seven from the field and scored a team-high 17 points to lead Valdosta State to a 74-62 Gulf South Conference victory over visiting West Alabama in men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. The Tigers (5-12, 0-4) led for all but 2:12 of the first half as they hit eight of their first nine field goal attempts. Brian Murphy opened the scoring with a three before Ricky Coleman hit a jumper for the Blazers (10-8, 2-2). Demarcus King upped the UWA lead to 6-2 with a three before Abdoulaye N'diaye gave West Alabama a six point lead with a jumper. Chris Malone would add a three and a jumper while N'diaye and Maurice Naylor closed out the run with a jumper to give West Alabama a 19-14 advantage with 13:11 to go in the first half. Valdosta State fought back, taking their first lead on a Coleman three with 9:57 remaining in the frame, only to have the Tigers use a 14-4 run to grab a 33-25 advantage, their largest lead of the game. The Blazers cut their deficit back to one before settling for a 38-33 deficit at the half. West Alabama pushed its lead back to eight in the opening minute of the second half only to have VSU respond with a 10-0 run to grab the lead for good. Stokes and Coleman opened the run with a pair of jumpers while Ray Cummings added a jumper. The junior forward evened the game and electrified the crowd the next trip down the floor with a fast break dunk over Taige Adderley while Coleman gave Valdosta State the lead with a dunk. The Valdosta State lead continued to grow over the next six minutes, reaching 53-45 on a Tristan Crawford jumper with 10:35 to go in the contest and topping double-digits on a Devario Hudson lay-up, that gave VSU a 59-49 lead with 7:05 remaining. The Tigers got no closer than seven, at 61-54, the rest of the game. Valdosta State hit nine-of-11 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory. Stokes added eight rebounds and three blocked shots as he led the Blazers in scoring for the first time this season. Coleman tallied 16 points while Cummings and Hudson had 12 each and Crawford 11. Hudson tallied his ninth double-double of the year as he also registered 13 rebounds in the game. The Blazers shot 43.1 percent (28-of-65) in the game and committed just seven turnovers. After struggling from the free throw line in its last two games, during which VSU hit just 5-of-24 charity shots, the Blazers hit 15-of-19 (78.9 percent) on the evening. Valdosta State also owned a 40-31 advantage in rebounding and pulled down 20 offensive rebounds. King led the Tigers with 17 points while finishing as the only UWA player in double figure points. West Alabama shot 22-of-50 from the floor (44.0 percent), but committed 16 turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, January 28 when it hosts Montevallo in Gulf South Conference action. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

West Alabama Game Notes

2008-01-25

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State seeks to end a two-game losing streak as the Blazers host West Alabama in Gulf South Conference action on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. VSU enters the contest at 9-8 overall and 1-2 in GSC action while the Tigers are 5-11 on the year and 0-3 in league play. Devario Hudson has recorded double-doubles in each of his last two games and now has a team-best eight on the year. He has registered 18 double-doubles in his two years with Valdosta State. Ray Cummings has hit 73.7 percent (14-of-19) of his field goal attempts in the Blazers three Gulf South Conference games thus far. The junior forward is now first on the VSU squad in field goal percentage at 60.9 percent on the season, having hit 39 of his 64 shots on the year. Jamahl Stokes has boosted the Valdosta State defense since his return to the squad on December 10. VSU's 10 opponents over that time are shooting a combined 39.0 percent and Stokes has blocked 17 shots in those games, tops on the team. A walk-on that joined the Valdosta State team at Christmas last season, Stephan Walton has provided a steady hand at the point guard position for the Blazers this season. Walton has started 10 games and is leading the team with 58 assists. He has turned the ball over just 43 times, for a 1.35 assist-to-turnover ratio. Valdosta State's rebounding as been superb in Gulf South Conference play as the Blazers are currently averaging 49.7 rebounds per game. Three VSU players are currently ranked among the league leaders in rebounding one considers GSC games only, as Devario Hudson is third at 10.0 boards a contest while Ray Cummings is fifth (9.7) and Jamahl Stokes sixth (9.0). As a team, Valdosta State is first in the league in rebounding. Hall of Fame Inductees to be Honored: The 2008 Class of the Valdosta State Hall of Fame will be honored at halftime of the West Alabama game. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Fall 67-55 to Alabama-Huntsville

2008-01-21

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Alabama-Huntsville committed just four turnovers as the Chargers defeated Valdosta State 67-55 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action Monday evening. The Chargers (9-9, 3-1) never trailed in the game as they 10 of the first 14 points of the game. UAH's Casey Stafford started the scoring with a put-back before Ray Cummings evened the game with a lay-in. Kael Coleman and Stafford proceeded to hit back-to-back three's to give the Chargers a six points advantage. Ricky Coleman and Stafford exchanged jumpers to spot Alabama-Huntsville to a 10-4 advantage. Valdosta State (9-8, 1-2) got no closer than four the rest of the game as the Charger lead continued to grow throughout the first half. The UAH lead reached double digits for the first time at 25-14 with 7:35 to go in the first half and stretched to as much as 39-23 with 2:05 remaining in the frame. Coleman's lay-up with 32 seconds remaining cut the VSU deficit to 41-28 at the half. Alabama-Huntsville pushed their lead to 17 early in the first half before Valdosta State used a 7-0 run to close to within 10. Coleman started the run with a dunk before Tristan Crawford added a three and JaQuan Bray a jumper to move VSU to within 47-37 with 13:04 to go in the game. The Chargers responded with the next seven points to regain their 17 point advantage and held the double-digit lead for the majority of the remaining 11 minutes. VSU put together its final charge over a four minute span that capped off with the Blazers trailing 61-53 with 2:15 remaining. With Valdosta State trailing by 15, Anthony Passmore started the run with a lay-up while Devario Hudson hit a three. A pair of Kael Coleman free throws pushed the advantage back to 12, but Hudson followed with a jumper and Cummings added lay-up to close the Blazers to within eight. Alabama-Huntsville hit four free throws and got a Coleman dunk in the final two minutes to seal the victory. Ricky Coleman led Valdosta State with 16 points while Hudson tallied his eighth double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Crawford also finished with double-digit points, finishing with 10, as the Blazers hit 24-of-61 shots (39.3 percent). Valdosta State turned the ball over just nine times in the game, but hit only two-of-seven (28.6 percent) of their free throws. Kael Coleman led all scorers with 23 points while Tyler Dunaway had 17 and Stafford 15. The Chargers shot 35.9 percent (23-of-64) in the game and owned a 42-40 advantage in rebounding. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, January 26 when it hosts West Alabama at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. The 2008 VSU Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at halftime of the contest.

Blazers Edged 64-63 by West Georgia

2008-01-19

CARROLLTON, Ga. - West Georgia held off a last minute Valdosta State comeback bid as the Wolves defeated the Blazers 64-63 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action in the HPE Complex Saturday evening. The Wolves (10-5, 3-0) led 62-58 entering the final minute before Jamahl Stokes hit a jumper to move the Blazers (9-7, 1-1) to within two with 58 seconds remaining. Neither team was able to score for the next 36 minutes before Terrence Hundley hit a jumper for UWG with 22 seconds remaining. Just three seconds later, JaQuan Bray moved VSU to within one with a three. A missed free throw gave VSU the chance to win the game, but Stephan Walton was unable to convert on a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining, allowing West Georgia to hold on for the victory. The game remained close through the first three minutes before the Blazers used a 14-0 run over a five minute span to grab their largest lead. Stokes opened the run with a tip-in before Devario Hudson and Ricky Coleman hit back-to-back threes. Ray Cummings added a basket and Coleman a dunk before Stokes' lay-up with 11:48 remaining in the first half gave the Blazers a 19-7 lead. West Georgia fought back over the next six minutes, eventually regaining the lead on a Henrick Foster three with 5:27 to go in the half en route to a 35-30 halftime lead. The Wolves never trailed in the second half, but was also never able to fully grab control of the contest. Their largest lead was 11 at 48-37 with 12:26 to go in the contest, but Valdosta State responded with a 10-3 run to close to within four, at 51-47, with 8:15 to go. Hudson had 15 points and 11 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the year, to lead the Blazers. Coleman added 14 points and Stokes 13 while Cummings also had double-digit rebounds with 10. Valdosta State shot 39.1 percent (27-of-69) in the contest, negating a 48-42 advantage in rebounding. The Blazers also struggled from the free throw line, where they hit just three-of-17 charity shots (17.6 percent). Hundley led all scorers with 23 points while Adam Stanger added 11. Foster registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds while Doug Daniels had 16 rebounds. UWG hit 26-of-65 field goals (40.0 percent) and blocked five VSU shots in winning their 12th-straight game over the Blazers in Carrollton. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, January 21 when it visits Alabama-Huntsville at 8:00 p.m.

West Georgia Game Notes

2008-01-17

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State hits the road for the first time in Gulf South Conference play as it visits West Georgia at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 19. The Blazers enter the game with an 9-6 overall record and are 1-0 in the GSC while the Wolves are 9-5 and 2-0 in GSC action. Ray Cummings established new career highs in both points in rebounds as he led VSU to a 92-86 overtime win over North Alabama in the GSC opener. Cummings scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, his first career double-double. Jamahl Stokes has recorded back-to-back career highs in rebounding as he has pulled down 13 boards in each of the last two contests. His previous high was 12, which he tallied against LaGrange on December 19, 2006. Since Stokes has rejoined the Blazer line-up, VSU has out-rebounded opponents 372 to 304, or 46.5 to 38.0 over the eight game period. Stokes has also boosted the Valdosta State defense since his return to the squad on December 10. VSU's eight opponents over that time are shooting a combined 39.2 percent and Stokes has blocked 15 shots in those eight games. The Blazers had six players score in double figures in its overtime win over North Alabama in the GSC opener. In addition to Cummings, Devario Hudson had 17, Ricky Coleman 16, JaQuan Bray 12, Stephan Walton 11 and Stokes 10. Valdosta State's 61 rebounds against the UNA Lions marked the second time this season that Valdosta State registered at least 60 rebounds in a game, joining the 67 VSU recorded against Carver in the season opener. Cummings and Stokes recorded double-digit rebounds while Hudson had nine and Coleman and Walton tallied seven each. Webcast: Saturday's game will be webcast by CSTV and the NCAA. To watch the webcast, go to www.ncaasports.com/dii. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Claim 92-86 Overtime Win over UNA

2008-01-14

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Ray Cummings scored a career-high 22 points to lead six Valdosta State players in double-figure scoring as the Blazers claimed a 92-86 overtime victory in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action Monday evening. Cummings hit eight-of-11 field goal attempts and six-of-eight free throws while also grabbing a career-best 12 rebounds. Devario Hudson added 17 for VSU (9-6, 1-0) while Ricky Coleman had 16, Jaquan Bray 12, Stephan Walton 11 and Jamahl Stokes 10. The score remained close throughout the first half, which featured eight lead changes and two ties. VSU's largest lead reached just four points, on three different occasions, during the first 20 minutes of play while the Lions (13-6, 1-1) led by as much as five, at 16-11 during the frame. UNA scored four of the final six points of the half to claim a 36-35 lead at the half. North Alabama pushed its advantage to as much as 40-37 early in the second half before the Blazers used a 16-2 run to grab an 11 point lead. Coleman opened the run with a jumper before Stokes added a pair of baskets. UNA's Andrew Chesney responded with a lay-up, but Coleman added a pair of three-pointers to extend the VSU lead to 49-42. Walton and Hudson closed out the run with a pair of jumper as the Blazers grabbed the game's largest lead at 53-42 with 14:34 remaining in regulation. The Lions spent little time getting back in the game as they scored 15 of the next 20 points to close to within 58-57 with 9:17 remaining. Five different UNA players scored during the run, which culminated with a Thomas Fraise three. The remaining nine minutes of regulation saw four ties and six lead changes as neither team built an advantage of more than five points. Casey Holt forced the overtime period with a running jumper along the right baseline with 13 seconds remaining to even the contest at 79-79 at the end of the second quarter. Valdosta State never trailed during the extra frame as it scored six of the first eight points. Stokes opened the scoring with a pair of free throws before Holt responded with a lay-in for the Lions. Cummings' lay-up with 3:52 remaining gave the Blazers the lead for good while Hudson pushed the advantage to 85-81 with 3:19 to go. The Blazer lead grew to as much as 92-84 as VSU hit four-of-seven field goal attempts and added five free throws in the overtime period. Meanwhile, North Alabama was held to three-of-10 shooting from the field and just one-of-three from the free throw line. Valdosta State shot 43.0 percent (34-of-79) from the floor in the game and owned a 61-37 advantage in rebounding. Stokes tied a career-high with 13 rebounds and established a new personal-best with six blocked shots while Hudson tallied nine boards. VSU also hit 18-of-24 free throw attempts. Fraise led the Lions with 20 points and nine rebounds while Kenny Johnson had 15. Quinn Beckwith added 13 points while Chesney and Holt finished with 12 each. UNA hit 33-of-76 field goal attempts (43.4 percent) and registered eight steals on 17 Valdosta State turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, January 19 when it continues Gulf South Conference play at West Georgia. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

North Alabama Game Notes

2008-01-14

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State opens Gulf South Conference play as it hosts North Alabama at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers enter the game with an 8-6 overall reocrd while the Lions are 13-5 and 1-0 in the GSC. The Blazers are the last Gulf South Conference team to open league play, as all 14 of the remaining teams played on Saturday. North Alabama defeated West Florida 80-77 for their one conference victory. Jamahl Stokes established a new career-high in rebounding when he pulled down 13 boards at Flagler last Thursday night. His previous high was 12, which he tallied against LaGrange on December 19, 2006. Since Stokes has rejoined the Blazer line-up, VSU has out-rebounded opponents 311 to 267, or 44.4 to 38.1 over the seven game period. Stokes has also boosted the Valdosta State defense since his return to the squad on December 10. VSU's seven opponents over that time are shooting a combined 38.5 percent and Stokes has blocked nine shots in those seven games. After hitting just two-of-12 three pointers last season, Devario Hudson has shown a new confidence in his outside game. Hudson has hit 21-of-61 threes this year. His 21 three-pointers is second-most on the team while his 34.4 shooting percentage is currently third-best on the VSU squad. Freshman DeAndre Washington has proven to be very adept at passing the ball as he is currently second on the Valdosta State team with 22 assists. Washington's ball-handling ability is one reason he has been utilized at breaking opposing team's presses, although he is a 6-5, 275 pound forward. He also has two double-digit rebounding games this year. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Fall 70-58 to Flagler

2008-01-10

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Valdosta State suffered through its worst shooting night of the season as the Blazers fell 70-58 to Flagler in non-conference men's basketball action at the Flagler Gym Thursday night. VSU (8-6) hit just 21-of-64 field goal attempts for a 32.8 shooting percentage on the evening. Flagler (10-4) didn't fair much better from the field, connecting on 36.1 percent (26-of-72) of its field goals, but hit 15-of-17 (88.2 percent) of its free throws as compared to nine-of-17 (52.9 percent) for Valdosta State. The first six minutes of the game featured two lead changes and two ties before the Saints used a 10-4 run to grab control of the contest. John Pietkiewicz started the run with a jumper to snap an 11-11 tie before D.J. Ferguson pushed the FC lead to five with a three. Jon Matthews' lay-up continued to extend the lead, before DeAndre Washington hit one of two free throws for the Blazers. JaQuan Bray inched VSU closer with a three, but Pietkiewicz responded with a three of his own to give Flagler a 21-15 advantage with 9:14 to go in the first half. VSU scored the next nine points to regain the lead. Four different Blazers contributed to the run, which ended with a Devario Hudson three that gave VSU a 24-21 advantage. Flagler scored 11 of the final 17 points of the half to grab a 32-30 halftime lead. The game remained close through the first four minutes of the second half before the Saints used an 11-0 run to grab the lead for good. Lyndon Merthie scored the first five and last four points of the run, which ended with Flagler holding a 49-42 lead with 13:22 remaining in the contest. Valdosta State got as close as 51-48, on a Hudson lay-up with 9:32 remaining, only to have FC respond with six of the next eight points. The Saints hit all eight of their free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory. Hudson led all scorers with 19 points, but was the only Blazer to finish with double figure points. He also finished with nine rebounds while Jamahl Stokes tallied 13. Ben De La Cruz scored 15 points and had 16 rebounds to lead Flagler. Kenny Moore also scored 15 while Ferguson tallied 13 and Merthie 11. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, January 14 when it opens Gulf South Conference play against North Alabama in the P.E. Complex at 8:00 p.m.

Flagler College Game Notes

2008-01-10

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State looks to continue its winning ways with its final Gulf South Conference tune-up game as the Blazers play at Flagler in St. Augustine Fla. at 7:00 p.m. VSU enters the game at 8-5 on the year while the Saints are 9-4. The Blazers' Devario Hudson scored a career-high 31 points in the VSU win over St. Thomas. He hit 12-of-24 field goal attempts, including four-of-10 threes, in the contest. He also added 14 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the year and had two assists, blocks and steals. Hudson is currently leading the Blazers in rebounding (9.8 per game), blocked shots (28) and steals (18). Anthony Passmore tallied the first double-digit game of his career against St. Thomas as he poured in 13 points. He hit five-of-nine field goal attempts in the contest. For the second straight year, Hudson's name can be found among the league leaders in both rebounding and blocked shots. The senior is averaging 9.8 boards a game, best in the Gulf South Conference, and 2.2 blocked shots a contest, also good enough for No. 2 in the conference. He leads the GSC in defensive rebounds at 7.2 per outing. Artis Young saw his first action of the season against St. Thomas. The senior played in 21 games for the Blazers in 2005-06, averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds a game while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. He chose not to play last season, but returned to the VSU squad prior to Christmas break. Jamahl Stokes has boosted the Valdosta State defense since his return to the squad on December 10. VSU's six opponents over that time are shooting a combined 38.9 percent and Stokes has blocked eight shots in those six games.

Blazers Down St. Thomas 89-62

2008-01-05

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State scored the first 19 points of the game en route to an 89-62 non-conference win over St. Thomas Saturday night at the P.E. Complex. Ricky Coleman opened the run with a three before Stephan Walton and Jamahl Stokes added a pair of lay-ups. After a Stokes free throw, Coleman and Devario Hudson hit a pair of threes and Ray Cummings added a lay-in while Hudson finished the spurt with a three-point play eight minutes into the game. St. Thomas (6-6) got on the board with a Patrick Louissaint basket and a free throw from Ian Gregory, only to have VSU (8-5) score 11 of the next 16 points to grab its first 20-point lead at 30-8. Hudson, who scored 21 first half points, scored nine of the 11 points, including a pair of threes to open and close the Blazer run. The Valdosta State lead dipped no lower than 19 the remainder of the first half, which ended with the Blazers leading 38-19. The Bobcats chipped into their deficit over the first eight and a half minutes of the second half, closing to within 56-43 with 11:34 remaining in the game. However, VSU quickly responded, scoring the next nine points to push its lead to above 20 for good. Stokes and Anthony Passmore opened the run with a pair of lay-ups before Josh Barker added a jumper and three from the top of the key to give the Blazers a 65-43 advantage. An Antonio Jones jumper got STU back to within 20, but VSU responded with five straight points and pushed their lead to as much as 87-59 with 0:41 remaining. Hudson scored a career-high 31 points to lead all scorers while Coleman and Passmore added 13 each. Hudson?s 31 points were the most by a Blazer since Mike Crain tallied 34 against North Alabama on February 6, 2006. Walton dished out seven assists to go along with his four points as the Blazers shot 48.5 percent (33-of-68) from the floor in the game. VSU also owned a 54-35 advantage in rebounding in the game as Hudson tallied 14 boards, Stokes 12 and DeAndre Washington 10. Jones scored 28 points to lead the Bobcats, who were held to 29.9 percent shooting (20-of-67) in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Thursday, January 10 when it visits Flagler at 7:00 p.m. in St. Augustine, Fla.

St. Thomas Game Notes

2008-01-04

Blazer Bits: Valdosta State opens 2008 with one of its final non-conference games of the season as the Blazers host St. Thomas at 4:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. VSU enters the game at 7-5 on the year while the Bobcats are 6-5. *The Blazers' Ricky Coleman was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Week January 2 for the period covering December 19 through January 1. Coleman led Valdosta State to a pair of come-from-behind victories during that span and averaged 26 points a game. He opened with a 24-point outing against Fort Valley State before scoring a career-high 28 points, including 19 in the second half, in a 84-82 win over Columbus State. Colemand and Devario Hudson are the only Blazers currently averaging double figures in points. Coleman leads the squad at 17.3 points per game while Hudson pours in 14.8 per outing. *Coleman has tallied seven 20-point outings this season, tallying 22 points against Carver, 20 versus Puerto Rico-Cayey, 26 against Florida Memorial, 24 versus Lynn, 25 against Georgia Southwestern, 24 against Fort Valley State and 28 versus Columbus State. His seven games of 20 or more points is already more than any Blazer had last season. *For the second straight year, Hudson?s name can be found among the league leaders in both rebounding and blocked shots. The senior is averaging 9.5 boards a game, second-best in the GSC, and 2.2 blocked shots a contest, also good enough for No. 2 in the conference. He leads the GSC in defensive rebounds at 7.0 per outing. *Stephan Walton has shown he is capable of handling the point guard position for the Blazers as he has dished out 34 assists while turning the ball over just 25 times. He is 11th in the GSC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.36. Click For Complete Game Notes

Ricky Coleman Named GSC Player of the Week

2008-01-03

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State's Ricky Coleman was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week according to an announcement by the league offices Thursday. Coleman led the Blazers to a pair of come-from-behind victories in the last week to claim the honor. He opened the week by scoring 24 points, including 15 in the second half, as Valdosta State overcame a 37-33 halftime deficit to defeat Fort Valley State 82-65 on December 28. Three nights later, he tallied 19 second half points en route to a career-high 28 overall as he helped the Blazers overcome a 36-32 halftime deficit in an 84-82 win over Columbus State. On the week, Coleman connected on 20-of-38 field goal attempts, a 52.6 shooting percentage, and averaged 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals to go along with his 26.0 points a game. He has tallied a team-best seven 20-point outings this year and is leading the VSU squad in scoring at 17.3 points a game. Coleman and the Blazers return to action Saturday, January 5 when they host St. Thomas at 4:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers Edge Columbus State 84-82

2007-12-31

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State hit five-of-six free throws in the final minute of the game as the Blazers defeated Columbus State 84-82 in non-conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday afternoon. Ray Cummings broke a 79-79 tie with a pair of charity shots with 0:53 remaining in the contest before Stephan Walton added two more free throws for an 83-79 VSU advantage. After Corris Portis sliced the CSU deficit to one with a three, Anthony Passmore hit one of two free throw attempts with just eight seconds remaining to close out the scoring. The Cougars (4-7) had one last chance to win the game, but Shondre Guest's three at the buzzer went half-way down before popping back out to give the Blazers (7-5) the victory. Valdosta State scored the first six points of the game, behind a pair of baskets by Jamahl Stokes and a dunk by Devario Hudson, only to have Columbus State respond with 10 of the next 12 points of the game to grab a 10-8 lead with 14:47 remaining. CSU continued to up its lead over the next five minutes, eventually leading by as much as 20-15, but the Blazers responded with an 11-4 run to grab a 26-24 advantage. Ricky Coleman started the run with a three before Miguel Morton answered with a jumper for the Cougars. Coleman and Stokes proceeded to add a pair of jumpers to even the game at 22, but Maurice Arnold broke the tie with a lay-up off a Travis Matthews steal. Stokes added a tip-in and Coleman a lay-up to close out the run. Columbus State responded with a pair of threes from Portis and Guest to regain the lead en route to a 36-32 halftime lead. The Cougars quickly pushed their lead to double digits in the second half as they hit five of their first six field goal attempts to open the frame on a 14-5 run. Morton scored the first seven points of the frame and later added a pair of free throws while Sean Miller's three gave CSU its largest lead, at 50-37, with a three with 17:16 remaining in the contest. After a Blazer timeout, Valdosta State quickly responded, scoring 14 straight points as its 2-3 zone forced Columbus State into five straight misses. Coleman spurred the VSU run, scoring nine points, while Hudson tallied five, including a three with 12:55 remaining in the contest that gave VSU a 51-50 lead. The remainder of the game featured eight lead changes and four ties as neither team led by more than five. A Walton jumper with 5:41 remaining gave the Blazers a 72-67 advantage, but it was short lived as Portis responded with a three just eight seconds later. The Cougars gained their final lead with a Guest jumper with 1:46 to go while Coleman evened the contest with a jumper 25 seconds later. Coleman scored a career-high 28 points, his fifth 20-point outing of the year, to lead all scorers while Hudson and Stokes finished with 16 each. The Blazers shot 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor in the contest and owned a 43-35 advantage in rebounding. VSU also blocked six shots in the game, including a key rejection by Hudson on a potential game-tying jumper with 45 seconds remaining. Portis hit seven-of-11 threes and scored 25 points to lead the Cougars. Arnold and Morton, also finished with double-figure points, tallying 15 and 11, respectively. CSU hit 13-of-34 trifectas in the game and recorded nine steals on 16 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, January 5 when it hosts St. Thomas at 4:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers Down Fort Valley State 82-65

2007-12-28

FORT VALLEY, Ga. - Ricky Coleman scored 24 points to lead Valdosta State to an 82-65 victory over Fort Valley State in non-conference men's basketball action at the HPE Complex Friday evening. The Wildcats (1-5) jumped out to an early lead as they scored 10 of the first 12 points of the game. Lakeves Prather opened the scoring with a lay-up just three seconds into the contest before JaQuan Bray answered with a jumper for the Blazers. Prather proceeded to hit a three to put FVSU back in front before Martrez Scott added a jumper and Jeremy Sledge a three for a 10-2 Wildcat lead with 15:43 remaining in the first half. The Blazers (6-5) responded with a 20-6 run over the next nine minutes to grab their largest lead of the first half at 22-16. Coleman scored VSU's first seven points while Devario Hudson scored eight, including the final six on a pair of threes. Fort Valley State fought back over the final 6:34 of the half, holding Valdosta State to just 11 points to eventually claim a 37-33 halftime lead. FVSU maintained their lead for he first 9:19 of the second half before the Blazers put together the game deciding spurt. Trailing 55-50 with 9:41 remaining in the contest, VSU scored a lay-up by Anthony Passmore and five straight points from Coleman, on a pair of free throws and a three, to gain a 57-55 advantage. The Wildcats evened the game with a Greg Sanders basket, only to have VSU score the 12 of the next 13 points. Four different Blazers scored during the run, led by Stephan Walton, who opened the spurt with a jumper before closing it with a three that gave Valdosta State a 69-58 advantage with 4:04 remaining. The Blazers connected on nine-of-10 free throws, including the final six from Ray Cummings, during the last two minutes of the contest to seal the victory. Cummings finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Hudson had 14 points and 17 boards. Walton also scored in double figures, finishing with 11, while also dishing out five assists. The Blazers shot 44.1 percent (30-of-68) from the floor in the game and hit 16-of-24 free throw attempts (66.7 percent). Four Wildcats scored in double figures, led by Scott with 14. Tywann McKoy had 13, Sanders 12 and Sledge 11. FVSU was held to 39.1 percent shooting (25-of-64) shooting in the game, including just 28.6 percent (10-of-35) in the second half. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, December 31 at 4:00 p.m. when it hosts Columbus State in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers Fall 63-61 to Albany State

2007-12-18

ALBANY, Ga. - Valdosta State shot a season-low 35.1 percent as it fell 63-61 to Albany State in non-conference men's basketball action at HPER Gymnasium Tuesday evening. VSU (5-5) hit 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) shots in the first half and connected on just 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) in the second half. The Blazers were out-scored by one point in each half as they dropped their second straight game. The Golden Rams (3-2) never trailed in the first half as they scored the games first four points on jumpers by James Clark and Antonio Steele. The Blazers responded with five points from Devario Hudson and a free throw from Josh Barker to even the game at 6-6, the first of three ties in the first 20 minutes of action. ASU responded by scoring the games next seven points to build the game's largest lead at 13-6. Tyrone Evans started the run with a pair of jumpers before Scheraun King added a three seven minutes into the contest. Valdosta State fought back, scoring four straight and seven of nine to close to within 15-13 over the next three minutes. However, Albany State was not deterred as it responded with five straight points to once again claim a seven-point lead. Hudson and Anthony Passmore responded with a pair of threes and the Blazers eventually evened the game at 28-28 on a JaQuan Bray jumper while King gave the Golden Rams a 29-28 lead at the half on a free throw nine seconds before the break. Albany State quickly opened a seven point lead in the second half, which featured seven ties and five lead changes. King opened the frames scoring with a jumper before Passmore responded with a basket for the Blazers. Steele proceeded to score on a jumper before Evans added a pair of scores to post the Golden Rams to a 37-30 advantage. VSU fought back, eventually evening the game at 45-45 with 10:16 remaining and eventually grabbed its first lead of the game, at 51-50, on a pair of Barker free throws with 6:48 to go in the contest. The two schools exchanged the lead four times over the next five minutes, with the Blazers eventually claiming a 61-60 lead with 1:40 to go on a Hudson three-pointer. However, Albany State responded with the game's final three points to claim the victory. Hudson finished with 15 points to lead the Blazers while also tallying 17 rebounds and four blocked shots. Bray also finished in double figures with 10 points Passmore and Ricky Coleman tallied nine each. The Blazers owned a 45-40 advantage in rebounding in the game. Evans led all scorers with 16 points while Jamell Ellerbe had 13 and King 11. The Golden Rams shot 40.3 percent and registered nine steals on 19 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State takes the next 10 days off before returning to action Friday, December 28 at Fort Valley State. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.

Blazers Fall 93-81 to Florida Southern

2007-12-15

LAKELAND, Fla. - Rob Eldridge scored 27 points to lead Florida Southern to a 93-81 victory over Valdosta State in Jenkins Field House Friday evening. The Moccasins (6-3) never trailed in the game as they scored the first five points of the game. The Blazers (5-4) responded by scoring five of the next seven points, but got no closer the remainder of the contest. The FSC lead reached double digits for the first time at 19-9 with 15:22, only to have the VSU close to within 25-20. However, Brandon Jenkins responded with a pair of three-pointers to push the advantage back to 31-20. VSU closed to within nine twice during the remainder of the half and trailed by as much as 15 on two different occasions as the score settled at 46-36 at the half. A pair of lay-ups by Preston Eppinger and JaQuan Bray to open the second half closed Valdosta State to within 46-40, but the Moccasins responded with six straight points to open a double digit lead for good. The FSC lead grew to as much as 20 points on three different occasions, the last coming at 81-61 with 7:15 remaining, before the Blazers closed the game on a 20-12 run. VSU scored seven straight points, including five from Ray Cummings while Ricky Coleman closed out the scoring with a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining. Bray led VSU with 18 points while Cummings and Bahaadar Russell finished with 12 points each. The Blazers shot 45.7 percent in the game, hitting 32-of-70 field goal attempts. Four Mocs scored in double figures as Will Graham finished with 18 points, Jenkins 17 and Rion Rayfield 13. NWMS hit 32-of-63 field goal attempts (50.8 percent) and owned a 42-35 advantage in rebounding. Valdosta State returns to action Tuesday, December 18 when it plays at Albany State at 7:30 p.m.

Blazers Defeat Georgia Southwestern 69-46

2007-12-10

Valdosta, Ga. - Valdosta State shot 58.6 percent in the second half as the Blazers defeated Georgia Southwestern 69-46 in non-conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. VSU (5-3) connected on 17-of-29 field goal attempts during the decisive second half, which saw the Blazers outscore the Hurricanes (4-3) 45-24. Valdosta State opened the game hot from the field as it hit six of its first seven field goal attempts to build a 16-5 advantage. Tristan Crawford started the run with a lay-up on the first possession of the game before Ricky Coleman connected on a three and a jumper on successive trips down the floor. After a pair of free throws by Bahaadar Russell, Ray Cummings and Devario Hudson scored on lay-ups while Coleman closed out the run with another trifecta. Georgia Southwestern proceeded to hit back-to-back buckets and trailed by a score of 20-10 with 12:08 remaining in the half before using a 12-4 run to close the frame. GSW forced VSU into six turnovers and eight unsuccessful field goal attempts over the next eight minutes to close to within 20-17 and eventually evened the game at 22-22 on a Ric Roderick three with 53 seconds remaining in the frame. However, JaQuan Bray hit a running jumper at the buzzer to give VSU a 24-22 halftime lead. Travis Owsley tied the game at 24-24 less than 30 seconds into the second half and the two teams battled even for the next three minutes before the Blazers began to take control of the game with a 13-2 run that covered 3:22 of the clock. Coleman led the way on the spurt, scoring four points from the free throw line while also adding a three while three other Blazers each hit a field goal. After the Hurricanes cut their deficit to 43-34 with a basket, the Blazers continued to add to their lead as they scored the next 17 of the next 21 points of the game. VSU hit five-of-seven field goals and four-of-five free throws during the stretch, which saw its lead stretch to 60-38. The Blazer lead grew to as much as 26 during the remaining six minutes of the game while never dipping below the 20-point plateau. Coleman led all scorers with 25 points, his fifth 20-point showing of the year, as he hit eight-of-12 field goal attempts. Hudson finished with 10 points and eight rebounds while Jamahl Stokes, playing in his first game of the season, tallied four points and six rebounds. VSU shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) and owned a 39-27 advantage in rebounding in the game. Owsley led the Hurricanes with 11 points while Michael Carter had a team-high six rebounds. GSW hit just 17-of-55 field goal attempts (30.9 percent) in the contest. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, December 14 when it visits Florida Southern in Lakeland, Fla. for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

Blazers Fall 71-56 to Eckerd

2007-12-01

Valdosta, Ga. - Eckerd used a 27-4 run to open the second half to grab control of the game as the Tritons defeated Valdosta State 71-56 in the second day of play at the Flagler Construction Equipment Classic Saturday evening. The EC run lasted the first 8:47 of the second half and saw the Tritons hit 12-of-18 field goal attempts while holding the Blazers (4-3) to just two-of-nine shooting. Eckerd also tallied five steals while forcing seven VSU turnovers as Eckerd (5-2) turned a 33-24 halftime deficit into a 51-37 advantage. The Triton lead remained in double digits the remainder of the half, topping off at 64-45with 3:37 remaining. Eckerd hit 17-of-30 field goal attempts in the second half while the Blazers managed just nine-of-23 shooting in the frame. Neither team shot well in the opening 20 minutes of play as Eckerd hit just seven-of-25 field goal attempts (28.0 percent) while VSU connected on nine-of-24 (37.5 percent). Valdosta State opened the game on a 4-0 run, behind a Devario Hudson jumper and a Tristan Crawford layup, only to have Eckerd score the next eight points. Bahaadar Russell cut the VSU deficit to one with a three less than five minutes into the game. However, his field goal proved to be Valdosta State's final shot for the next 10 minutes, as the BlazerÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½s next 12 points came from the free throw line. VSU hit 12-of-16 free throws during its struggles shooting over the 10 minute span, but allowed the Tritons to connect on just three-of-11 shots while also forcing five turnovers as VSU built a 19-14 lead. Crawford, Jaquan Bray and Russell each tallied a VSU-high 11 points while Ricky Coleman pulled down a team-best six rebounds. The Blazers hit 18-of-47 field goal attempts, for 38.3 percent shooting. Josh King scored a game-high 25 points while Zaronn Cann had 15. Lewis Lampley pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds as the Tritons owned a 40-31 advantage in rebounding. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, December 10 when it hosts Georgia Southwestern in the P.E. Complex at 7:30 p.m.

Blazers Down Lynn 74-60

2007-11-30

Valdosta, Ga. - Valdosta State used a 13-0 first half run to grab a lead it would not relinquish as the Blazers defeated Lynn 74-60 during the first day of at the Flagler Construction Equipment Classic in the P.E. Complex Friday evening. The Fighting Knights (2-2) scored the first seven points of the game as VSU (4-2) missed its first four field goal attempts. Hans Schur opened the scoring with a lay-up before Luke Postorino connected on a three. Ed Millard closed out the LU run with a jumper in the lane to give Lynn its largest lead of the game. Valdosta State quickly responded as it poured in the next 13 points over the next three minutes of play. Ray Cummings tallied a put-back basket to get the Blazers on the board while Ricky Coleman hit a jumper. Coleman and Devario Hudson followed with a pair of threes while Coleman closed out the spurt with a three-point play. Lynn proceeded to score on a Millard lay-up before VSU pushed its lead to nine with a Hudson three and a Stephan Walton lay-up. The Blazer lead reached double-digits for the first time at 23-12 with 10:16 remaining in the first half and dipped no lower than six the remainder of the half. A Schur jumper with 1:31 remaining in the frame closed out the scoring in the half with Valdosta State leading 36-27. VSU scored the first five points of the second half, on a Coleman three and a Walton jumper, to push its lead to 41-27 and saw its advantage fall under double digits only once, at 51-42 with 11:50 remaining, the rest of the game. The Blazers pushed their advantage to as much as 74-54 with 2:19 remaining in the game while the Fighting Knights scored the final six points of the game. Randy Jones hit a free throw to start the scoring run which also included a Greg Boxell lay-up and a Chris Hall three. Coleman tallied 24 points to lead all scorers while also matching Tristan Crawford with a VSU-high seven rebounds. Hudson also finished with double-digit points, scoring 15 while hitting six-of-10 field goal attempts. Walton, who earned his first career start in the game, finished with four points, but dished out eight assists while turning the ball over just four times. Valdosta State hit 27-of-59 field goal attempts to shoot 45.8 percent from the floor while also hitting 12-of-14 free throws (85.7 percent). The Blazers owned a 39-38 advantage in rebounding and hit eight-of-19 three-point attempts (42.1 percent). Millard led Lynn with 19 points while Schur had 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Fighting Knights turned the ball over 15 times, while tallying just seven assists, and hit just 21-of-57 field goal attempts (36.8 percent). In the first game of the Classic, Eckerd defeated West Alabama 79-51 behind 21 points from Damone Morris. The Flagler Construction Equipment Classic continues Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. when Lynn faces off against West Alabama while Valdosta State hosts Eckerd at 8:00 p.m.

Flagler Construction Equipment Classic Game Notes

2007-11-29

Blazer Bits Valdosta State returns home to the P.E. Complex to host the Flagler Construction Equipment Classic. The Blazers play a 2-1 Lynn team on Friday at 8 pm before facing 3-2 Eckerd on Saturday at 8 pm. Eckerd will face West Alabama on Friday at 4 pm while Lynn and West Alabama face off Saturday at 8 pm. Valdosta State and Eckerd will meet for the second time in seven days when they face off on Saturday. Last weekend, the Tritons overcame a six-point deficit with 3:28 remaining by scoring the 11 of the final 13 points to claim a 81-78 victory. Four Blazers are currently averaging double figure points, led by Devario Hudson at 18.6 points a game. Ricky Coleman averages 18.0 a game, followed by Bahaadar Russell at 14.2 and Tristan Crawford at 10.8. Devario Hudson is averaging a double-double as, in addition to his 18.6 points an outing, he also averages 10.4 rebounds a game. Three different Blazers have now scored 20 or more points in a game this season as Bahaadar Russell tallied 26 points against Tampa last weekend. Ricky Coleman has scored 20 or more three times while Devario Hudson has accomplished the feat twice this year. Devario Hudson is showing a new confidence from beyond the three-point stripe this season as he has hit four-of-11 field goals from that range. He took just 12 threes last season, making two. The Blazer defense has stepped up the pressure thus far this season as VSU is currently averaging 10.8 steals per game, after averaging 7.9 per outing last season. Korey Spates has recorded 11 steals on the year and Ricky Coleman, who registered just 10 steals last year, already has 10 this season. Click for Complete Game Notes

Eckerd Defeats Blazers 81-78

2007-11-24

St. Petersburg, Fla. - Eckerd scored 11 of the final 13 points of the game to defeat Valdosta State 81-78 in the final game of the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic Saturday evening at the McArthur Complex. The Blazers (3-2) built a 76-70 lead with 3:28 remaining before the Tritons (3-2) began their game deciding run. Jason Rudakas began the spurt with a three-pointer before Tristan Crawford hit a jumper for VSU. Three free throws closed EC to within two before Lewis Lampley gave EC the lead with a three-point play with 1:39 remaining in the game. Marcus Washington closed out the scoring with a lay-up 13 seconds before the final horn. The first four minutes of the game featured two lead changes and three ties before Eckerd used a 14-6 run to grab its largest lead at 25-17. Damone Morris and Trevor Lee opened the spurt with a pair of lay-ups before Ray Cummings hit a three for the Blazers. Josh King responded with a three and Zaronn Cann wrapped a pair of jumpers around a JaQuan Bray three for VSU while Erick Green closed out the run with a trifecta. The Triton lead stood at 32-25 with 8:06 remaining, but Valdosta State closed the first half on a 20-6 run to claim a 45-38 halftime advantage. Korey Spates and Cummings tallied five points each for the Blazers as six different Blazers scored during the run. VSU built its lead to 52-42 in the first three minutes of the second half, only to have Eckerd respond with a 12-0 run to take the lead. Morris scored the first five points of the run, which was closed out with a Washington jumper with 13:54 remaining in the game. Eckerd built a 70-65 advantage over the next seven minutes only to have the Blazers respond with an 11-0 run to build their 76-70 lead on a Crawford jumper. Five Blazers scored in double figures in the game, led by Devario Hudson with 19. Ricky Coleman added 16 while Crawford and DeAndre Washington had 11. Cummings finished with his first double-digit outing of the year with 10 points. VSU hit 42.3 percent (30-of-71) of its shots in the game, including 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) of its three-pointers. King led all scorers with 21 for the Tritons while Morris had 12, Lampley 11 and Green 10. Eckerd shot 61.1 percent (33-of-54) from the floor and hit 9-of-13 threes (69.2 percent). The Tritons also owned a 36-31 advantage in rebounding, off-setting 21 turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, November 30 when it hosts Lynn at 8:00 p.m. in the first day of play at the Flagler Construction Equipment Classic in the P.E. Complex.

Tampa Downs Blazers 92-81

2007-11-23

St. Petersburg, Fla. - Tampa never trailed as it defeated Valdosta State 92-81 in the first day of play at the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic Friday evening. The Spartans (2-1) opened the game on an 11-2 run over the first four minutes of play. A Jeremy Black lay-up opened the scoring before VSU's Bahaadar Russell evened the game with a bucket. Chris King proceeded to hit a pair of free throws while Johnathan Ball added a lay-in and a three before Chris Evans closed out the run with jumper. The lead grew to as much as 16-4 over the next two minutes before Valdosta State (3-1) cut into its deficit. Devario Hudson opened the Blazer run with a dunk before Korey Spates and Russell registered back-to-back lay-ups off steals. UT responded by wrapping an Evans trifecta and a King free throw around a Hudson jumper before DeAndre Washington moved VSU to within 20-15 with a three with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Spartans pushed their advantage back to as much as 36-24 over the remaining minutes of the half, while VSU closed to within six on three occasions as the score settled at 41-31 in favor of Tampa at the half. UT scored 10 of the first 14 points of the second half to build a 16-point lead before Valdosta State staged its final run of the game. Trailing 53-37 with 15:18 to go, the Blazers scored nine of the next 10 points, including a pair of baskets by Spates, to close to within 54-46. Tampa pushed its advantage back to 70-58 with 7:40 to go, but Valdosta State scored the next seven points, on a lay-ins by Russell and Tristan Crawford and a three by Russell to force a Spartan timeout with 5:57 remaining in the game. Tampa came out of the time out and scored five consecutive points en route to a 90-75 lead with 1:27 remaining. Russell led the Blazers with a career-high 26 points while Hudson finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the season. Crawford tallied 12 points and Spates 11 as VSU hit 33-of-76 field goal attempts (43.4 percent). The Blazers were hampered by 28 fouls, as Hudson and Russell both fouled out, and tallied 13 steals on 21 Spartan turnovers. Black registered a career-high 30 points while also registering 16 rebounds for the Spartans. Ball finished with 19 points, Evans 13 and King 11, along with 10 boards. Tampa shot 58.5 percent (31-of-53) from the floor, including 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from beyond the three point line, and out-rebounded Valdosta State 46-31. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. when it plays host Eckerd in the final game of the Classic.

Eckerd Classic Game Notes

2007-11-21

Valdosta State hits the road for the first time in 2007-08 as it takes part in the Eckerd Classic in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Blazers play a 1-1 Tampa team on Friday before facing 0-2 Eckerd on Saturday. Both game will be carried live on the VSU Radio Network, with Bill England on the mic. Pre-game show starts 10 minutes prior to tip-off. Valdosta State has started 3-0 in a season for the first time under head coach Mike Helfer. The Blazers dropped their first game in 2005-06 and their second game last season. Helfer is now 7-4 in games played in November, having gone 1-2 during his first season and 3-2 last season. Four Blazers are currently averaging double figure points, led by Ricky Coleman at 22.7 a game. Devario Hudson averages 18.0 points a game, followed by Bahaadar Russell at 15.0 and Tristan Crawford at 10.3. Devario Hudson is averaging a double-double as, in addition to his 18.0 points an outing, he also averages 11.7 respectively. Ricky Coleman recorded his third straight 20-point game of the season against Florida Memorial, finishing with a career-high 26 points. His three 20-point games this season are the only three of his VSU career. Tristan Crawford enjoyed a solid game as well against Florida Memorial as he scored 15 points, tallied four steals, had four assists and did not turn the ball over. For the second time in three game, Bahaadar Russell tallied eight assists against Florida Memorial. He also had eight in the season opener against Carver while Korey Spates registered seven assists against Puerto Rico-Cayey. VSU is averaging 20.3 assists a game as a team. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Defeat Florida Memorial 100-85

2007-11-19

Valdosta, Ga. - Ricky Coleman scored a career-high 26 points to lead Valdosta State to a 100-85 victory over Florida Memorial in non-conference men's basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. Coleman scored 13 of his points over the first five minutes of play as he posted the Blazers (3-0) to a 15-5 advantage. Devario Hudson opened the scoring with a jumper before Coleman hit back-to-back three-pointers. Tramaine Stevens hit a pair of free throws to get the Fighting Lions (3-3) on the board, but Coleman responded with a jumper and, after a Stevens three, a lay-up and a three. FMU cut its deficit to seven, at 16-9 over the next 90 seconds, only to have VSU score 23 of the next 34 points to grab its largest lead at 39-20. The lead hovered just below 20 points for the remainder of the half before Florida Memorial closed out the half on a 7-2 run. Reggie Thomas scored on a three-point play to start the run and, after a Coleman lay-up, scored on a fast break lay-in. Stevens closed out the first half scoring with a pair of free throws to cut the Fighting Lion deficit to 45-31 at the half. Coleman hit seven-of-11 field goals, including three-of-six three pointers during the first half of play to finish with 17 points in the frame. The Blazer lead grew to no higher than 19 and fell no lower than 14 through the first eight minutes of the second half before the Blazers built their largest lead of the game with a 7-2 spurt. With the Blazers leading 64-46, Hudson scored on a jumper before Tristan Crawford added a put-back bucket. A Thomas tip-in gave FMU its only bucket of the run while Hudson added a lay-up and DeAndre Washington hit a free throw for a 71-48 VSU lead. Florida Memorial closed to within 14 twice over the remaining 10 minutes of play, only to have the Valdosta State push its edge back to 20 points each time. A Crawford lay-up gave the Blazers its final points of the evening before Andre Beauford hit a pair of jumpers to set the final score. Coleman finished the evening 10-of-14 from the floor and hit five-of-eight trifectas. Hudson finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, his second double-double of the year, and blocked three shots in the game. Bahaadar Russell also scored 19 points while Crawford tallied 15. The Blazers shot 54.4 percent (37-of-68) from the floor in the game and owned a 44-37 advantage in rebounding. They blocked five shots and registered 14 steals on 24 FMU turnovers. Stevens led the Fighting Lions with 22 points while Andre Thomas finished with 20. Beauford and Reggie Thomas also scored in double figures, with 18 and 10, respectively, while Andre Thomas tallied a team-high nine rebounds. FMU hit 32-of-66 field goals, a 48.5 field goal percentage, and tallied 15 steals. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, November 23 when it plays Tampa at 5:30 p.m. in the first game of the Eckerd Classic in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Florida Memorial Game Notes

2007-11-19

Valdosta State concludes a three-game homestand as it hosts NAIA foe Florida Memorial in the P.E. Complex. The Florida Memorial game is the first of 10 games on the year against teams from the Sunshine state, the most against any state this season. In fact, VSU plays its next five contests against teams from Florida. The Blazers are 47-42 all-time against the eight teams its plays from Florida this season. Valdosta State has started 2-0 in a season for the first time under head coach Mike Helfer. The Blazers dropped their first game in 2005-06 and their second game last season. Helfer is now 6-4 in games played in November, having gone 1-2 during his first season and 3-2 last season. Four Blazers are currently averaging double figure points, led by Ricky Coleman at 21.0 a game. Devario Hudson averages 17.5 points a game, followed by Bahaadar Russell at 13.0 and DeAndre Washington at 12.0. DeAndre Washington and Devario Hudson also average double figures in rebounds, at 11.5 and 12.0 respectively. VSU has four players currently shooting better than 50.0 percent from the floor, led by DeAndre Washington at 62.5 (10-of-16). Devario Hudson has hit 16-of-28 shots (57.1 percent) while Ricky Coleman is shooting 56.7 percent (17-of-30). Tristan Crawford is also above the 50.0 percent mark at 53.3, having hit eight-of-15 field goal attempts. Korey Spates leads the team in both assists and steals, having dished out 12 assists and registered seven thefts on the year. He has also hit five-of-six free throws, or 83.3 percent. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Defeat Puerto Rico-Cayey 77-66

2007-11-17

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State never trailed as the Blazers defeated Puerto Rico-Cayey 77-66 in non-conference action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. VSU (2-0) opened the game on a 7-0 run to grab the lead. Korey Spates hit a pair of free throws to begin the scoring before Ray Cummings scored on a lay-up. Ricky Coleman finished the run with a three less than two minutes into the game. The two teams played even for the next five minutes before the Blazers pushed their lead to 15 with a 10-0 run. Bahaadar Russell opened the run with a pair of lay-ups before Devario Hudson threw down a dunk and hit a pair of free throws. A Russell dunk off of a steal closed out the spurt with VSU leading 21-6. The Valdosta State grew to as much as 21, at 35-14 with 5:34 remaining in the half, before Puerto Rico-Cayey began to fight back. The Toritos scored the next five points, on a three by Luis Collazo and a pair of free throw by Hiram Rivera, only to have VSU respond with four straight points. PRC scored five of the next six points and closed to with in 42-28 before a Hudson jumper with seven seconds remaining in the half gave VSU a 44-28 halftime lead. Valdosta State quickly pushed its lead back above 20 in the second half as it scored the first 10 points of the half. Coleman began the scoring with a dunk off of a Hudson steal before Tristan Crawford registered a steal and dunk. Coleman followed with a pair of threes on the Blazers' next two trips down the floor for a 54-28 VSU advantage. The Blazer lead grew to as much as 62-32 with 13:25 to go in the game and stood at 75-48 with 5:54 to go before the Toritos fought back. They hit three straight threes before JaQuan Bray closed out the VSU scoring with a jumper. PRC added another two threes and got a three-point play from Ivan Ortiz in the final minute of play to close out the scoring. Coleman led all scorers with 20 points, his second-straight 20-point outing, while Russell and DeAndre Washington added 12 each. Hudson tallied 10 points and matched Cummings and Washington with a team-high six rebounds. The Blazers shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) in the game and owned a 41-33 edge in rebounding. Ortiz tallied 21 points to lead Puerto Rico-Cayey while Collazo finished with 20 points. The Toritos were held to 38.5 percent shooting (20-of-52), but registered 10 steals on 14 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, November 19 when it hosts Florida Memorial at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Puerto Rico-Cayey Game Notes

2007-11-17

Valdosta State plays its second game of the 2007-08 season as the Blazers host Puerto Rico-Cayey in the P.E. Complex. VSU is coming off of a 93-80 victory over Carver while PRC is opening their 2007-08 schedule. Radio: Valdosta State Sports Network. Mike Chason calls the action beginning with the Blazer Basketball Pre-Game show 10 minutes prior to tip-off. The Series: Valdosta State leads 4-0 in a series which dates back to the 2001-02 season. The Blazers claimed a 68-38 victory in the last meeting, which occurred in the season opener of the 2004-05 season. All four games have been played in Valdosta and have seen the Blazers win by an average of 34.8 points an outing. Head Coach Mike Helfer: Beginning his third season with Valdosta State, head coach Mike Helfer is 38-20, including a 15-11 mark in GSC play, as the Blazer head coach. Overall, he owns a 224-103 career coaching record, after spending eight years at Southern Poly. Up Next: Valdosta State concludes its three-game homestand as it hosts Florida Memorial on Monday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazer Basketball vs. Carver Game Notes

2007-11-15

Game Quick Facts: The Blazers open their 2007-08 season as they host Carver at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex Radio: Valdosta State Sports Network. Mike Chason calls the action beginning with the Blazer Basketball Pre-Game show 10 minutes prior to tip-off. The Series: Valdosta State leads 6-0 in a series which dates back to the 2001-02 season. The Blazers claimed a 130-62 victory in Valdosta last season, moving head coach Mike Helfer's record against the Cougars to 2-0. All six games have been played in Valdosta. Head Coach Mike Helfer: Beginning his third season with Valdosta State, head coach Mike Helfer is 37-20, including a 15-11 mark in GSC play, as the Blazer head coach. Overall, he owns a 223-103 career coaching record, after spending eight years at Southern Poly. Head Coach Martin Carter, Sr.: Carver's Martin Carter, Sr. is 1-6 on the season, including two losses to NCAA Division I foes and a 89-65 defeat at Albany State Tuesday evening. Blazer Bits Valdosta State opens its 54th year of basketball and its 34th since joining the NCAA Division II ranks. VSU has gone 35-18 through its first 53 season openers, including a 25-8 mark since joining Division II in 1974-75. Valdosta State head coach Mike Helfer is beginning his third season at the helm of the Blazers. Overall, Helfer has tallied a 37-20 record as the VSU head man, including a 1-1 mark in openers. TodayÃ�?Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã�?Ã�Â¢??s game marks the second straight season that Valdosta State has opened the season again Carver. The Blazers claimed a 130-62 win in the P.E. Complex against the Cougars last season. VSU returns just five players off of the 2006-07 NCAA Southeast Regional team that finished the year with a 20-9 record. The quintet accounted for 31.3 percent (746 of 2386) of Valdosta State's total scoring last year, but pulled down 48.3 percent (562 of 1163) of its rebounds and tallied 73.6 percent (106 of 144) of the blocks. Senior forward Devario Hudson leads the returning players. He averaged 11.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last year. He was named second-team All-Gulf South Conference after leading the league in rebounding and blocked shots. Valdosta State welcomes nine new players to the roster, including five that previously played at NCAA Division I institutions. Bahaadar Russell and Tristan Crawford transfer in from Cleveland State, JaQuan Bray from James Madison and Ray Cummings from Southeastern Lousiana while Korey Spates comes from Schoolcraft College, but began his career at Purdue. Also new are Anthony Passmore, DeAndre Washington, Jayvonte Hughes and Preston Eppinger. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Down Carver 93-80

2007-11-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Devario Hudson set career-highs in points and rebounds to lead Valdosta State to 93-80 non-conference victory over Carver Thursday night in the P.E. Complex. Hudson scored 25 points and pulled down 18 rebounds while matching a career-best with five blocked shots. He hit 12-of-22 field goal attempts and also recorded two steals in the game. The game remained close throughout the first half as neither team led by more than four during the first 17 minutes of play, during which there were eight ties and eight lead changes. Carver (1-7) built a four point just six and a half minutes into the contest as it scored six straight points. Jeremy Russell began the run with a jumper before scoring on a fast break lay-up with after a Fred Clyde steal. On the Blazers' next trip down the floor, Russell picked off a Stephan Walton pass and raced down the court for a lay-up and a 20-16 Cougar lead with 13:37 remaining. VSU (1-0) fought back with a Hudson lay-up and jumper and eventually built a 27-24 lead with 9:02, only to have Carver respond with a Joshua Caston three-point play to tie the game. The game remained even over the next five minutes before the Blazers grabbed control with an 8-0 run. DeAndre Washington began the spurt with a put-back off a Korey Spates miss before Hudson took an alley-oop pass from Spates for a dunk. Spates proceeded to record his second straight steal and fed Ricky Coleman for a jumper while Hudson closed out the spurt with a jumper to give the Blazers a 43-35 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the frame. Carver added a pair of buckets before the conclusion of the half to cut its deficit to 43-39 at the half. The Cougars opened the second half on a run as they hit nine of their first 14 shots of the frame, including six straight. With VSU up 47-45, Jeremy Mahaffey hit a la-up to tie the ball game before Kent Dorsey's lay-in gave CBC a two-point advantage. Caston and Mahaffey followed with a pair of jumpers before Clyde hit a three and Dorsey a lay-up to give the Cougars their largest lead of the night at 58-53 with 14:16 remaining in the game. Valdosta State quickly responded as Washington scored on a put-back while Coleman and Bahaadar Russell hit a three each before Washington added a jumper. After a Reggie Anderson free throw for Carver, Russell and Hudson scored on a pair of jumpers before Dorsey answered with a lay-up for the Cougars. Russell closed out the 17-3 VSU lead with a three from the top of the key to give the Blazers a 70-61 lead that it would not relinquish. Carver closed to within three, at 74-71 with 7:38 remaining, only to have the Blazers score eight straight points to solidify the win. Washington, a freshman playing in his first game for the Blazers, added 12 points and 17 rebounds while Coleman finished with a career-high 22 points. Russell added 14 points and eight assists while Spates had five of VSU's 11 steals. The Blazers also blocked eight shots as a team and recorded 67 rebounds, just six shy of the school record of 73 set in 1975, while hitting 40-of-88 field goal attempts (45.5 percent). Carver had four players score in double figures, led by Russell with 19. Dorsey finished with 16 and Anderson 15 while Caston had 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Cougars forced 26 Blazer turnovers, recording 10 steals in the process, but shot just 37.8 percent (31-of-82) in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, November 17 when it plays Puerto Rico-Cayey at 6:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Basketball Holds "Meet the Blazers" Night

2007-11-10

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State men's and women's basketball teams held their annual "Meet the Blazers" Night at the P.E. Complex Saturday night. The night's festivities began with the opening rounds of the "FMB Bank Middle School Shootout," which featured nine boys teams and 10 girls teams from local middle schools. The girls from Georgia Christian eventually won the girls shootout, claiming the $500 first place prize, while the boys from Lake Park won the boys competition. After the introduction of both the men's and women's Valdosta State squads, four girls and four guys competed against each other in a three-point shooting contest. Michelle Thompson claimed the title of best shooter on the night for the women while Ricky Coleman won on the men's side. Thompson edged Coleman 19-16 in the overall championship. Galen Gardenhire, Jayvonte Hughes, Preston Eppinger and Devario Hudson proceeded to take part in a dunk contest. Gardenhire and Hudson stood tied after the two round contest, with Hudson claiming the title. The night concluded with both teams signing autographs for fans, big and small alike. The Lady Blazers begin their season Thursday, November 15 against Warner Southern at 6:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex while the men follow with a contest against Carver at 8:00 p.m.

Florida State Downs Blazers 87-66

2007-11-06

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State used a 16-5 run that spanned five minutes of the second half to defeat Valdosta State 87-66 in preseason exhibition men's basketball action at the Tucker Center Tuesday evening. FSU led 58-52 when it began its game deciding run, which culminated with the Seminoles holding a 74-57 advantage with 5:05 remaining in the contest. Isaiah Swann led the charge has he hit a pair of free throws and a three from the left wing for the first five points of the spurt. He added another jumper before JaQuan Bray hit a three for the Blazers to cut the Florida State lead to 66-55. Toney Douglas and Ray Cummings proceeded to trade buckets for the two teams, but the Seminoles proceeded to garner lay-ups from Ralph Mims and Douglas and a pair of free throws by Uche Echefu to close out the run. Valdosta State got no closer than 15, at 74-59, the remainder of the game. The Seminoles built a 46-35 halftime lead and led 55-42 with 16:40 to play before Valdosta State stormed back to cut its deficit to single digits. Bahaadar Russell began the surge with a trifecta and, after a Douglas free throw, Ricky Coleman hit a jumper to push the deficit under 10 points. Devario Hudson added a baseline jumper, only to be answered by a Swann lay-up, while Russell added another three to close the Blazers to within 58-52 with 13:00 to go in the game. VSU had four chances to close even further over the over the next three minutes, but missed a pair of jumpers and committed two turnovers before Florida State began its game-deciding spurt. The Blazers matched Florida State basket-for-basket the first five minutes of the game and led by as much as three, at 10-7. Three straight lay-ups, from Russell, Bray and Tristan Crawford gave VSU its largest lead with 15:02 remaining in the first half. FSU scored the next five points and eventually broke a 12-12 tie with a Julian Vaughn dunk to grab the lead for good. The Seminole lead hovered in the lower single digits until the eight minute mark, but steadily grew throughout the remainder of the half. It reached as high as 46-33 with 0:53 to go in the frame before DeAndre Washington hit a jumper to set the halftime score. Russell led the Blazers with 13 points while Hudson had 11 points and 11 rebounds. The senior forward also blocked two shots and registered three assists. Valdosta State claimed a 39-38 advantage in rebounding, behind 21 offensive rebounds, but shot just 36.0 percent (27-of-75) in the game. VSU was also hampered by 24 fouls as the Seminoles hit 21-of-26 free throw attempts while the Blazers connected on just three-of-seven. Florida State had five players finish in double figures, led by Swann with 21. Vaughn finished with 15 points off the bench while Douglas had 13. The Seminoles hit 30-of-57 field goal attempts (52.6 percent) and blocked six Valdosta State shots in the game. Valdosta State opens its 2007-08 season next Thursday, November 15, when it hosts Carver in the P.E. Complex at 8:00 p.m. The VSU women's basketball team opens its season prior to the contest as it hosts Warner Southern at 6:00 p.m. The two teams will hold their annual "Meet the Blazers" night this Saturday, November 10, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Men's Basketball Begins Third Week of Preseason Practice

2007-10-29

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State men's basketball team began its third week of practice Monday as the team continued to prepare for its season opener against Carver on November 15. Much of the squad's early work has been based on building unity among the 14 players on the roster, which includes nine new players. "We have a lot of new players this season so we have been focusing on building cohesiveness among them and our returning players," said head coach Mike Helfer prior to Monday's practice. "We have seen a lot of good improvement over the course of the last two weeks as you can really see the guys getting to know each otherÃ�??Ã�?Ã�Â¢Ã�?Ã�Â¯Ã�?Ã�Â¿Ã�?Ã�Â½Ã�?Ã�Â¯Ã�?Ã�Â¿Ã�?Ã�Â½s abilities. The cohesiveness that we are building now will be the key to our season down the road." While the 2007-08 Blazers feature a lot of new faces, they are not without talent as five of the nine newcomers previously played at Division I institutions. The group also includes two freshman as well as one junior college transfer and a Division II transfer. "Practices have been very competitive as our new guys bring a great deal of talent to the team," Helfer continued. "They are pushing our returning players, which in turn is making us a better team overall." Five of the nine new players will compete for time at the guard position. Included among the group is Korey Spates, a junior who averaged 10.1 points a game as a freshman at Purdue, a Big Ten school, before transferring to a junior college last season, where he averaged 20.4 points and 6.3 assists a game last year. Two Cleveland State transfers also dot the guard depth chart in the form of Bahaadar Russell and Tristan Crawford. Crawford, a sophomore, was named Pennsylvania Class AAA Player-of-the-Year after his senior season of high school while Russell made 12 starts in his two seasons at CSU. JaQuan Bray, who played at James Madison last season after averaging 26.0 points a game as a senior at Campbell High in Smyrna, Ga., will also vie for time, as will freshman Anthony Passmore, who red-shirted with the Blazers a year ago. "We've added some quality guards to go along with the talent we already have at the guard position," Helfer added. "The guys work hard every day because they know the slightest slip can cause someone to move in front of them." Four new forwards also join the squad, including Ray Cummings who played his first two seasons with current VSU assistant coach Nick Gast at Southeastern Louisiana. Cummings is joined on the front line by transfers Preston Eppinger, who played at USC Upstate for two season, and Jayvonte Hughes, who began his career at Lewis and Clark Community College in St. Louis, Mo., as well as freshman DeAndre Washington. The Blazers will visit Florida State on Tuesday, November 6 for an exhibition game before opening their season at home in the P.E. Complex against Carver at 8:00 p.m. on November 15.

Blazers Open Preseason Practice

2007-10-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State men's basketball team began work towards its 2007-08 season Monday as the Blazers took the floor for the first time as a team. Taking advantage of the school's fall break, VSU hit the hardwood early on the first day that the NCAA allows teams to practice as a full group. The Blazers began their preparations for the upcoming season at 7:30 a.m. and practice just over an hour before again taking to the court Monday afternoon for a two hour practice. "Today is one of the best days of the year for a coach," said Blazer head man Mike Helfer. "Its an exciting time and one in which everyone has a positive out-look on the year ahead." The excitement of the day didnÃ�???Ã�??Ã�?Ã�Â¢??t keep Helfer and his coaching staff from focusing on the task at hand. "We did a lot of teaching today," he added. "We have a lot of new guys and they did a great job of listening and learning, which is what you want early in practice if you are a coach." Valdosta State returns five letterwinners, including two starters, off of a team that went 20-9 and advanced to the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament last season. Nine new players will be added into the mix this season, which officially begins November 15 when VSU hosts Carver at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Men's Basketball Announces 2007-08 Schedule

2007-09-21

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Two early season tournaments against regional foes will prepare the Valdosta State men's basketball team for Gulf South Conference play, according to the schedule released by head coach Mike Helfer on Thursday. The Blazers open their season by playing six of their first open their season at home in the P.E. Complex, including the season-opener against Carver on November 15. Puerto Rico-De Caya travels to the VSU campus two days later before Valdosta State hosts Florida Memorial on November 19. Helfer's squad plays its first road games of the year on November 23 and 24 when it plays Tampa and Eckerd in the Eckerd Classic in St. Petersburg, Fla. The following weekend VSU returns home to host the VSU Blazer Classic, during which it will face off against Lynn and Eckerd, before hosting Georgia Southwestern on December 10. "I think our schedule will be very demanding with some key South Region games early," Helfer stated. "We want to always play a difficult non-conference schedule because it will prepare us for the always tough Gulf South Conference schedule." The Blazers hit the road for their next three games, visiting Florida Southern December 14, Albany State December 18 and Fort Valley State December 28 before returning home to host Columbus State on December 31. Valdosta State opens the new year with non-conference games against St. Thomas on January 5 and Flagler on January 10 before opening Gulf South Conference play. "Outside of the GSC, we tried to play as many teams from different DII conferences as possible," the third-year head coach continued. "We are playing four teams in the Sunshine State Conference, two in the SIAC and two from the Peach Belt. I think this will challenge our team and will give us the ability to create inter-conference rivalries, which is always a good thing." Valdosta State opens conference play against North Alabama on January 14 before playing a pair of road games. The remaining home schedule includes West Alabama on January 26, Montevallo on January 28, Alabama-Huntsville on February 9, West Georgia on February 11, Reinhardt on February 20 and West Florida in the regular season finale March 1. "The Gulf South Conference lost some great players last year," Helfer concluded. "It seems that each team lost a few key contributors that have been around the league for quite a few years. I am sure that everyone has reloaded and, as usual, the GSC will be one of the toughest conferences in the nation." The Gulf South Conference Tournament will be held March 5-8 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss. While the NCAA DII South Regional take place March 12-15. Valdosta State returns six letterwinners, including two starters, off of a team that finished the 2006-07 season with a 20-9 record while advancing to the NCAA South Regional.

Men's Basketball Set for 2007 Golf Fundraiser

2007-08-30

The Valdosta State men's basketball team will once again hold its annual dinner and golf outing this October. For more information on the event, please click here for the the fundraiser brochure.

Nick Gast Named Assistant Basketball Coach

2007-07-15

VALDOSTA, Ga . -- Former Valdosta State standout Nick Gast has been named assistant basketball coach for the Blazer men's basketball program, according to an announcement made by head coach Mike Helfer on Wednesday. Gast returns to Valdosta State after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Division I Southeastern Louisiana University, where he served under former VSU head man Jim Yarbrough. While with the Lions, Gast was directly responsible for recruiting and tutoring the team's post players. He also oversaw all opponent scouting and was in charge of monitoring student-athlete academic progress and preseason conditioning. Southeastern Louisiana compiled a 32-26 record during Gast's two seasons with the team. Prior to joining the staff of SLU in 2005, Gast spent a season as the head boy's basketball coach at Clinch County High School. He led the squad to an eight-win improvement during his one season with the Panthers, finishing with a 16-10 record and finished third region play. Gast was a four-year starter for the Blazers between 1998 and 2002 and was twice named to the All-Gulf South Conference squad, earning the honor in 2001 and 2002. He is one of only 19 Blazers to score 1,000 points during their career, having finished with 1,094 in 107 career games. He also starred in the classroom and earned a position on the Gulf South Conference All-Academic team in 2002 while leading the school to the GSC Regular Season Championship that season. Upon earning his undergraduate degree in Health and Physical Education from Valdosta State, Gast joined Yarbrough's Blazer staff as a graduate assistant prior to the 2002-03 season. His first tenure as a coach on the Blazer staff lasted two seasons and saw the Baltimore, Md. native in charge of recruiting, scouting and film exchange. He also acquired a Master's of Education from the school in 2004. "Nick is one of the up and coming coaches in our profession," said Helfer. "He has a great work ethic and understanding of the game, which is going to help him tremendously as he gains more experience. I am very pleased to have him return to Valdosta State and join our staff."

Three Named All-Gulf South Conference

2007-03-16

VALDOSTA, Ga . -- Three Valdosta State basketball players earned All-Gulf South Conference honors in a vote by the league's coaches according to an announcement made by the GSC Offices Tuesday. Herman Burge was selected to the East Division First Team while Mike Crain and Devario Hudson both earned second team honors. Burge averaged 13.0 points and 2.9 rebounds a game during the 2006-07 regular season. The senior point guard led the Gulf South Conference in assists at 6.3 per game and free throw percentage (87.6) and was second in steals per game at 2.4 per outing. He also ranked third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.41 and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (44.6). Crain's selection to the second-team All-GSC squad marked the second straight year the senior guard accomplished the feat. The Riverdale, Ga. native currently leads Valdosta State in scoring at 15.4 points a game and has tallied 75 rebounds, 66 assists, four blocks and 27 steals on the season. He is ninth on the VSU career scoring list with 1,509 points, just 19 points out of eighth place. Hudson led the Gulf South Conference in rebounding and blocked shots this season, averaging 9.3 boards and 2.1 blocks a game. The junior forward also topped the league in offensive rebounds with 3.4 per game and was fourth in defensive rebounds (5.8). He is third on the VSU squad at 11.4 points a game and leads the team in field goal percentage at 54.6 percent. Valdosta State opens play in the Gulf South Conference Tournament Friday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. when the Blazers, the No. 2 seed from the East, meet Harding, the No. 3 from the West, in the DeSoto Civic Center.

BLAZERS FALL 61-60 TO ROLLINS

2007-03-10

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Craig Reichel's three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the game winner as Rollins defeated Valdosta State 61-60 in the first round of the NCAA South Regional Saturday afternoon at the McChesney Student Activity Center. Richard Lusane posted VSU (20-9) to a 60-58 advantage with three free throws with 1:59 remaining in the game before both teams missed a pair of jumpers. Isaac Codrey gave the Tars (25-6) back with 33 seconds on a defensive rebound and drove to the basket, drawing the Blazer defenders with him. His kick out found a wide-open Reichel on the left wing for the game winning shot. The first half of the game saw four lead changes and five ties as neither team led by more than seven in the half. Rollins scored 12 of the first 17 point in the game. After Valdosta State's Devario Hudson opened the game with a free throw, Reibel hit a three and Reichel a jumper to give RC a 5-1 lead. Richard Lusane wrapped a pair of jumper around a Codrey lay-up to cut the VSU deficit back to two, but Reibel added a jumper and three to give Rollins a 12-5 advantage with 13:56 remaining in the first half. The Blazers responded by scoring the next nine points to go up 14-12. Hudson started the run with a baseline jumper before Lusane scored five straight on a three and a jumper. Matt Kuhns gave VSU the lead with a lay-up with 11:47 remaining. Neither team led by more than four the rest of the half as Valdosta State claimed a 31-30 lead at the intermission. The first 10 minutes of the second half continued the even battle before the Blazers claimed its biggest lead of the game with a 9-3 spurt. Trailing 45-44, Herman Burge put VSU on top with a three from the top of the key before Lusane scored on a lay-up. Kevin Hogan responded with a three, but Jamahl Stokes hit back-to-back jumper to post VSU to a 53-48 lead. Rollins went up four in the closing moments of the game, only to have Lusane hit a three and the three free throws in the last two and a half minutes to put VSU up 60-58. Lusane led Valdosta State with 25 points while Stokes finished with 10. Hudson registered 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the game while Burge finished with nine points and six assists. The Blazers hit 23-of-55 field goals (41.8 percent) and owned a 40-29 advantage in rebounds in the contest. Reibel scored 25 to lead Rollins while Hogan tallied 14. The Tars hit 46.2 percent of their field goal attempts (46.2 percent) and registered six steals on 13 VSU turnovers.

RADIO SCHEDULE FOR MEN'S AND WOMEN'S NCAA REGIONAL GAMES

2007-03-05

FRIDAY, MARCH 9 -- WOMEN'S NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL -- FIRST ROUND LADY BLAZERS VERSUS TAMPA -- WVLD, 1450 AM -- 5:00 PM SATURDAY, MARCH 10 -- MEN'S NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL -- FIRST ROUND BLAZERS VERSUS ROLLINS -- NEWS TALK 105.9 FM -- 3:30 PM SATURDAY, MARCH 10 -- WOMEN'S NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL -- SEMIFINALS WITH A VICTORY ON FRIDAY -- LADY BLAZERS VERSUS FGCU/BENEDICT -- NEWS TALK 105.9 FM -- 7:00 PM SUNDAY, MARCH 11 -- MEN'S NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL -- SEMIFINALS WITH A VICTORY ON SATURDAY -- BLAZERS VERSUS ECKERD/BENEDICT -- NEWS TALK 105.9 -- 6:00 PM MONDAY, MARCH 12 -- WOMEN'S NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL -- FINALS WITH A VICTORY ON SATURDAY -- LADY BLAZERS -- NEWS TALK 105.9 FM -- 7:00 PM TUESDAY, MARCH 13 -- MEN'S NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL -- FINALS WITH A VICTORY ON SUNDAY -- BLAZERS -- NEWS TALK 105.9 FM -- 8:00 PM

BLAZERS EARN AT-LARGE BID TO NCAA TOURNAMENT

2007-03-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- Valdosta State earned an at-large bid to the 2007 NCAA South Regional, according to an announcement made by the NCAA Sunday night. The Blazers are one of 42 teams to earn an at-large bid and will enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed in the South Regional. The Blazers will face No. 2 Rollins in the first round of the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 10 in Montevallo, Ala. "I'm very happy four our team and the chance for us to continue playing," said head coach Mike Helfer after the announcement. "I'm pround of our players and the year that they had. I think the at-large bid shows the strength of our schedule this season and the quality of some of our wins." Valdosta State played four games against teams in the South Region, picking up wins against No. 4 Barry and No. 8 Albany State while falling twice to No. 1 Montevallo. The rest of the bracket includes No. 3 Benedict, No. 5 Henderson State and No. 6 Eckerd. The appearance in the 2007 tournament marks the third time in the last six seasons that Valdosta State has advanced to the NCAA postseason. Rollins tallied a 24-6 record during the 2006-07 season and tied for the Sunshine State Conference regular season championship.

BLAZERS FALL ON BUZZER BEATER

2007-03-02

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. -- Reggie Bibb banked in a three-pointer as time expired to lift Harding to a 73-72 victory over Valdosta State in the quarterfinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament at the DeSoto Civic Center Friday afternoon. Bibb's three completed a stretch that saw the Bison (17-11) score four points in the final five second of the game. Ricky Coleman hit one of two free throws to give the Blazers (20-8) a 72-69 lead with 21 seconds remaining in the game before Bibb missed a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining. However, Bibb grabbed the rebound off of the second missed shot and was again fouled. He made his first attempt and missed the second, but the ball went out of bounds off a VSU player to give the ball back to HU with two seconds to go. Bibb received the ball off the inbounds pass and made his game deciding shot as time expired. Bibb's shot completed a 15-point comeback bid by Harding, that started with the Bison down 53-38 with 10:48 remaining in the contest. Valdosta State led 28-27 at the half and opened the second frame on a 15-3 run. The Blazers hit seven of their first nine shots in the second half, including at least one each from the five starters of the half, to build its lead. Neither team led by more than seven in the first half, which featured two ties and four lead changes. The Blazers scored 13 of the first 19 points of the game to open its largest lead of the half, only to have HU respond with a 15-2 run to grab a 21-15 lead with 6:27 remaining in the half. The final minutes of the half again belonged to VSU as it closed the half on a 13-6 run. Herman Burge scored 17 points and dished out eight assists to lead Valdosta State while Devario Hudson and Jamahl Stokes finished with 12 each. Hudson also tallied nine of VSU's 35 rebounds while Stokes registered two of the team's six blocks. VSU shot 41.5 percent (27-of-65) in the game and had eight steals. Matt Hall led all scorers with 23 points and had 14 rebounds while Brandon Sims also scored in double figures for Harding with 16. The Bison hit 24-of-57 field goal attempts (42.1 percent) and recorded 40 rebounds in the game. Valdosta State now awaits the NCAA Selection show at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday to see if it will make it to its first NCAA Regional appearances since the 2003-04 season.

BLAZERS DEFEAT WEST FLORIDA 98-92 IN TRIPLE OVERTIME

2007-02-24

VALDOSTA, Ga . -- Led by a pair of seniors playing in their final home game, Valdosta State overcame a 20-point second half deficit to defeat West Florida 98-92 in triple overtime in Gulf South Conference action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. The Blazers (20-7, 8-4) trailed 63-43 with 16:27 remaining before beginning their comeback bid. VSU began its resurgence with a 10-1 run, behind five points from senior Mike Crain, before eventually cutting its deficit to 66-58 with 8:50 to go in the game. The Argonauts (10-17, 2-10) responded with a quick 6-0 run, only to have Valdosta State score the next 13 points to take a 73-72 lead on a Crain three-point play with 2:10 remaining. UWF regained the lead briefly on a pair of free throws by Marcus Grant, but Devario Hudson and Ricky Coleman pushed VSU back in front with three free throws. Barry Durosier forced the overtime with a baseline jumper with 12 seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team was able to find the scoring touch in the first overtime frame as Valdosta State managed just a Coleman tip-in while Durosier hit a pair of free throws for the Argonauts. The second overtime saw VSU hit four of eight free throws and jumper from senior Herman Burge while West Florida got a pair of buckets from Grant and a jumper from Daniel Alcorn with eight seconds remaining to force the third overtime period. Hudson hit a quick jumper to open the final five minutes of play, only to have UWF answer with five points from Deondre Boynton to grab a 91-88 advantage. Matt Kuhns' tip-in cut the Blazer deficit to one before Lucas Evangelista scored the final Argonaut point of the game from the charity stripe. Crain put VSU back in front with a three and Burge, the GSC's leading free throw shooter, hit four straight free throws before Hudson closed out the game with a free throw. Both teams came out hot after the opening tip as Valdosta State hit its first eight field goals and West Florida connected on seven of its first nine shots. The Blazers opened a 22-18 lead just five minutes into the game, but saw the Argonaut offense take over from their. UWF shot 69.0 percent (20-of-29) during the first 20 minutes of play as it built a 53-41 halftime advantage. Crain scored 25 points and dished out five assists, against no turnovers, in 53 minutes of action to lead the Blazers while Burge had 20 points, seven assists and four steals, including 12 points in the overtime period. Derrick Allen, another Blazer senior, finished with 14 points while Hudson registered his 10th double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds while also tallying five steals and two blocks. Valdosta State shot 42.3 percent (33-of-78) in the game and owned a 51-42 advantage in rebounding. The Blazer defense recorded 14 steals on 20 West Florida turnovers in the game and limited the Argonauts to just 29 points in the final 31:27 of the game. Durosier led all scorers with 26 points as six UWF players scored in double figures. Grant tallied 15 and a team-high nine rebounds while Boynton had 14, Evangelista 12, Vitor Boccardo 11 and Andy Beauchamp 10. West Florida shot 47.9 (34-of-71) percent in the game, which saw four of its starters foul out and the fifth finish with four fouls. With the win, Valdosta State secured the GSC East Division No. 2 seed in the upcoming GSC Tournament. The Blazers will play Harding, the No. 3 seed from the West, Friday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. EST.

Blazer Fans Encouraged to "Black Out the Complex"

2007-02-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- The Valdosta State Athletic Department will hold a "Black Out the Complex" Promotion Night Saturday night in conjunction with the Blazers men's and women's basketball games against West Florida. All fans attending the game are encouraged to wear black shirts to the event to provide the Lady Blazers and Blazers with a true home court advantage. Additionally, the first 750 students to arrive to the game will receive a free "Black Out the Complex" t-shirt. The women's basketball game, featuring the 18th-ranked and Gulf South Conference East Division Champions Lady Blazers is scheduled to tip-off at 6:00 p.m. The men's team will honor its six seniors in between the two games and will tip off against the Argonauts at 8:00 p.m.

BLAZER BASKETBALL TO BE WEBCAST SATURDAY

2007-02-20

VALDOSTA, Ga . -- The Valdosta State Athletics Department, in conjunction with VSU TV and Outfitters TV, will provide Blazer fans a chance to catch as Blazer basketball on the internet as Saturday's games against West Alabama will be webcast live over the internet. The webcast, the first of its kind for Blazer basketball, will begin at 1:50 p.m. with pregame analysis of the Lady Blazers' contest against West Alabama and will continue through the men's game, which is slated for a 4:00 p.m. start. Dustin Swedelson and Adam MacDonald will provide play-by-play and color commentary for the broadcast. Fans wishing to view the webcast can follow the link on Valdosta State's Athletics website at www.vstateblazers.com or by visiting www.vstateblazers.tv. Saturday will feature the second time this year a VSU athletic event has been webcast. The NCAA and CSTV, with assistance from VSU TV, broadcasted the Blazer football game against Fort Valley State on September 9 of this past season. "This is a great and exciting opportunity for our basketball teams," said Valdosta State Athletic Director Herb Reinhard in making the announcement. "Not only will we be able to showcase the skills of our athletes, but also the skills of VSU students that are a part of VSU TV on campus. Outfitters TV has provided us with top of the line technology for the broadcast and has worked hand-in-hand with us in making the production top-notch so we are very excited." The Lady Blazers open the day's events with a game against the Lady Tigers at 2:00 p.m. while the men play West Alabama at 4:00 p.m. Saturday will also feature Reader Appreciation Day at the P.E. Complex, with the Athletic Department recognizing area elementary school children who reached reading goals over the last year.

BLAZERS FALL 89-77 TO MONTEVALLO

2007-02-19

MONTEVALLO, Ala . -- Marcus Kennedy scored 34 points, including 20 in the second half, to lead Montevallo to an 89-77 victory over Valdosta State in Gulf South Conference action at the Student Activity Center Monday evening. The game remained close throughout the first half a neither team led by more than five points. Montevallo (21-5, 10-1) grabbed the first lead of the game as they scored eight of the first 12 points of the contest, only to have Valdosta State (19-7, 7-4) score the next six points of the game, on two Derrick Allen threes, to go up 10-8 3:57 into the contest. The two teams traded the lead four times over the next five minutes of play. Trailing 14-13 with 15:30 to go in the first half, the Falcons used a 12-6 run, behind five points each from Marcus Kennedy and Greg Brown, to grab its biggest lead of the half at 25-20 with 8:14 to go in the half. However, the Blazers again responded, scoring the next five points to tie the game and eventually building a 37-32 edge on an Allen free throw with 1:42 remaining in the half, en route to a 37-35 halftime lead. The two teams swapped buckets through the first five minutes of the second half, but Montevallo eventually grabbed control with a 21-7 run that covered 5:48 of game clock. Kennedy scored nine points during the run, which ended with UM leading 66-53. Valdosta State cut its deficit to single digits three different times during the remaining eight minutes of play, closing to within 74-67 with 4:15 to go, only to have the Falcons respond with a mini-run each time. Allen scored a career-high 20 points while also pulling down six rebounds. Hudson registered his ninth double-double of the year with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Stokes registered his second of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Blazers hit 29-of-68 (42.6 percent) field goals in the game and turned the ball over just eight times. Kennedy added eight rebounds and two blocks to go with his 34 points. Greg Brown finished with 14 points while Robinson had 13 and 10 rebounds. Montevallo shot 47.8 percent (32-of-67) in the game and owned a 45-36 advantage in rebounding. The Blazers return to action on Saturday, February 24 when they host West Florida in Valdosta State's final home game of the 2006-07 season. VSU's six seniors will be honored before the game, which is slated for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off in the P.E. Complex.

BLAZERS DEFEAT WEST ALABAMA 57-50

2007-02-17

VALDOSTA, Ga . -- Valdosta State never trailed as the Blazers defeated West Alabama 57-50 in Gulf South Conference action at the P.E. Complex Saturday afternoon. The Blazers (19-6, 7-3) sprinted out to a 23-4 lead to open the game as the Tigers (10-15, 3-7) hit just two of their first 25 field goal attempts in the game. Derrick Allen opened the scoring with a jumper in the lane before Mike Crain added a field goal from 15 feet. Devario Hudson registered a lay-up after a Herman Burge steal and Burge later added a three from the top of the key as the Blazers scored the first nine points of the game. After a timeout by UWA, Raymond Shaw got the Tigers on the board with a lay-up, but Crain answered with a trifecta and Hudson added a jumper to push the VSU advantage to 14-2. Matt Kuhns' three upped the Blazer lead to 15 before Shaw added the second West Alabama bucket, on a jumper, with 8:28 remaining in the first half. Crain hit a jumper, Burge added two free throws and Hudson scored on yet another jumper to close the Valdosta State run with 3:50 remaining in the half and VSU leading 23-4. The Blazer lead hovered between 17 and 19 points the rest of the half before settling at 29-13 on a Stan Gill three point play right before the intermission. The Tigers hit just five-of-29 (17.2 percent) field goals during the first 20 minutes of play while Valdosta State hit 12-of-28 (42.9 percent). West Alabama closed to within 14, at 35-21, six minutes into the second half, only to have Valdosta State use a 12-4 run to grab its largest lead at 47-25 with eight minutes remaining. The Blazer lead remained over 20-points for the next two and a half minutes, before the Tigers used a 16-3 run to end the game to close to within seven. Michael Billings started the final UWA run with a three-point play and a three from the top of the key before Gill added a dunk. A Gill jumper pushed the VSU advantage to 57-42 while Shaw wrapped a pair of threes around a Patrick Winters dunk to close out the scoring. Crain scored 21 points to lead all scorers as he was the only VSU player to score in double figures. Burge added nine points and Hudson eight and 12 rebounds. Valdosta State shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) in the game and owned a 40-37 advantage in rebounding. The Blazers also blocked seven shots, with four coming from Jamahl Stokes and three from Hudson, while tallying six steals. Gill scored 18 to lead West Alabama and completed the double-double with 10 rebounds. Shaw also tallied double-figure points, scoring 15, as the Tigers shot 29.3 percent (17-of-58) in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, February 19 when the Blazers visit GSC foe Montevallo for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff.

BLAZERS FALL TO WEST GEORGIA 91-69

2007-02-10

CARROLTON, Ga . -- West Georgia used a 52-33 half time lead to take control over Valdosta State in Gulf South Conference action on Saturday night in the HPE Complex, which led to a 91-69 victory. West Georgia (10-13, 3-6) opened up the game with a three-pointer by Paul Harper but was answered by a lay up from Devario Hudson. The Wolves went up by nine with two buckets from Henrick Foster and a dunk by Terrence Hundley, holding Valdosta State (17-6, 6-3) to only one basket in the first five minutes of action. The Wolves gave themselves a double-figure lead after a jumper by Sheldon Harris. A dunk by Jamahl Stokes and two shots from Richard Lusane cut the lead down to seven but a lay up by Smith and a three-pointer from Harper gave UWG a 29-13 lead. With six minutes remaining, West Georgia had a commanding 31-18 lead. Mike Crain did not hit his first shot until under six minutes remaining. Derrick Allen hit a three off the bench but Hundley answered right back, scoring seven points and putting West Georgia up 42-25 with three minutes left in the first half. A technical foul was called on UWG's head coach Ed Murphy which sent Herman Burge to the free throw line and gave VSU some momentum as Burge hit both of his free throws and Crain sunk two shots with one minute left and the Blazers down 52-31. The Wolves scored the second most points against VSU in the first half, with the University of Georgia being the first. West Georgia shot 61 percent from the field in the first half (21-of-34) while making six-of-eight shots from behind the arc (75 percent). UWG had eight steals and only five turnovers while forcing 10 Blazer turnovers. Hundley and Smith had 16 points each while Foster scored 11. UWG held VSU to 39 percent shooting from the floor (11-of-28) and 30 percent from the three-point line (three-of-10). Burge led the Blazers with seven going into the second half while Crain had six. The second half was not much different for the Blazers. VSU was down by as many as 24, 69-45 with 13 minutes left in the half. Smith made two jumpers back-to-back and a three from Hundley after a three-pointer by Lusane to put the Wolves up 74-54. The VSU deficit never got below 18 points after a made free-throw by Crain with 5:30 left on the clock. A dunk by Harper ended scoring in the game and gave the Blazers their third conference loss this season. Burge led the Blazers in scoring with 15 points and four assists. Crain and Lusane each had 13 points while Hudson rounded out the double-digit scoring with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Blazers shot 39.1 percent from the field (25-of-64) and 32 percent from behind the arc (six-of-19) with eight steals, three blocks and 13 assists. Leading all players with 29 points was Dexter Stephens. Hundley had 21 points and five rebounds. The Wolves shot 58 percent from the field (37-of-64) and 53 percent from the three-point line (nine-of-17). West Georgia over powered the Blazers in every category, out-rebounding VSU 38-33 with nine steals, 17 assists and forced 12 turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action on Monday, February 12 when it hosts Palm Beach Atlantic in a non-conference match-up in the P.E. Complex. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

BLAZERS FIGHT BACK TO DEFEAT NORTH ALABAMA 73-65

2007-02-05

VALDOSTA, Ga .%2

BLAZERS BLOW BY ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE 70-51

2007-02-03

VALDOSTA, Ga . -- Valdosta State held Alabama-Huntsville without a basket for the first eight and a half minutes of the game en route to a 70-51 victory over the Chargers in Gulf South Conference action at the P.E. Complex Saturday evening. UAH (14-7, 3-4) managed just two free throws and missed their first 10 field goal attempts as VSU (16-5, 5-2) scored 16 of the first 18 points of the game. Matt Kuhns opened the scoring with a three before Devario Hudson hit a pair of jumpers and garnered a dunk after a Herman Burge steal. Jason Smith ended the Alabama-Huntsville scoring drought with a pair of free throws, but Burge hit a three and Hudson added a jumper to push the Blazer lead to 12. VSU's run ended as Hudson reigned in a missed Mike Crain jumper and rose over two Charger defenders for a dunk with 13:40 remaining in the first half. The Valdosta State lead continued to grow over the next five minutes as Richard Lusane answered a Tyler Dunaway jumper with a three from the right corner. Smith gave UAH its second bucket of the game with 9:41 remaining on a lay-up, but Lusane answered with a jumper and Derrick Allen a three to push VSU's lead to 24-6. The Chargers closed to within 12 over the next two minutes, only to have Valdosta State up its lead to 44-22 at the half. The Blazers shot 51.5 percent (17-of-33) in the first half while limiting UAH to only seven field goals on 28 attempts (25.0 percent). VSU also didn't turn the ball over during the first 20 minutes of play. The Valdosta State lead grew throughout the second half, topping out at 68-39 with 7:01 to go, before Alabama-Huntsville staged its last run of the game. UAH limited the Blazers to just one field goal on nine attempts during the final seven minutes of the game and closed to within 19 on a Dunaway three with 18 seconds remaining. Hudson tallied a game-high 16 points 15 rebounds, his seventh double-double of the season, to lead Valdosta State. Crain finished with 12 points and Ricky Coleman 10 while Burge tallied 10 assists, his third game this season with double-digit assists. The Blazers shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) in the game and blocked six shots, including four by Hudson. Dunaway was the only Charger to finish in double figures, tallying 13 points on five-of-nine shooting. UAH shot 30.0 percent (18-of-61) in the game and outrebounded Valdosta State 42-41. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, February 5 when the Blazers host North Alabama at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

BLAZERS HAND WEST FLORIDA FIFTH STRAIGHT LOSS, 70-62

2007-01-27

PENSACOLA, Fla . -Valdosta State led by six at the half and withstood a West Florida comeback attempt as the Blazers handed the Argonauts their fifth straight loss, 70-62, at the UWF Field House on Saturday night. The Blazers (15-5, 4-2) never trailed in the first half as they scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer by Mike Crain. Andy Beauchamp put the Argonauts (8-10, 1-5) on the board with a lay up from Marcus Grant. Herman Burge answered back with a three-pointer and Devario Hudson added a lay up to put VSU on top 8-3. The Argos threatened VSU's lead after the Blazers were up by as many as ten with another three from Burge. A three-pointer and a jumper from Vitor Boccardo cut the Blazer lead to five with three minutes to play. Boccardo was fouled on a drive to the lane by Burge, making the shot and his free throw followed by a jumper by Daniel Alcorn to send the Blazers to the locker room up by only three at the half, 31-28. The Argos tied the game in the first eight seconds of the second half with a three-pointer from Barry Durosier and took the lead after another trey from Durosier, 37-34. Ricky Coleman cut the UWF lead to within one before Burge gave the Blazers the lead after making two trey's at the 15:34 mark. VSU would not trail for the rest of the game. Valdosta State led by six, 51-45, after a lay up by Jamahl Stokes with 12 minutes left to play. The Blazers extended their lead to nine after a three-pointer by Matt Kuhns. The two teams battled for the next several minutes before Burge hit his sixth three of the night to give the Blazers a six point advantage with two and half minutes to play. Burge scored the last 11 Blazer points of the game, eight of them being free-throws in the last minute. The senior guard was the only Blazer to score in double digits, having a career high 28 points and nine rebounds. Burge was six-of-nine from three-point land and eight-of-nine from the free throw line. Coleman and Crain had eight points each while Ricky Banner scored six points with five blocks. The Blazers combined for a season high 11 blocks. Along with Banner's five, Hudson contributed two and Stokes added four blocks of his own. VSU shot 38 percent in the game (22-of-58) and registered eight steals on 14 Argo turnovers. VSU out-rebounded UWF 44-38. West Florida was led by Durosier with 19 points while Marcus Grant finished with 13 rebounds. Beauchamp was the only other Argo to score in double-digits, tallying 14 points as West Florida shot 31 percent from the field (19-of-61). UWF tallied nine steals on 15 VSU turnovers. Valdosta State returns to action next Saturday, February 3 when they host Alabama-Huntsville in the P.E. Complex at 8 p.m.

MONTEVALLO DEFEATS VALDOSTA STATE 81-68

2007-01-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Montevallo used a 17-2 run in the first half to grab control of the game in defeating Valdosta State 81-68 in Gulf South Conference basketball action at the P.E. Complex Monday night. The two teams battled even for the first nine minutes, with each team scoring 15 points, before Montevallo (14-5, 4-1) began to take control. The Falcons hit eight-of-nine field goals and five-of-seven free throws during the ensuing five minute spurt while Valdosta State (14-5, 3-2) managed just one field goal, a Mike Crain lay-up, on nine attempts. Bud Howard opened the UM run with a lay-up before Greg Brown hit a pair of free throws and lay-up. Darron Robinson added a three-point play while Marcus Kennedy finished the run with eight straight points, on three buckets and two free throws, giving UM a 32-17 lead. The Montevallo lead grew to as much as 20, at 40-20, in the final minutes of the half before settling at 43-28 at the half. Valdosta State shot just 23.8 percent (10-of-42) from the floor during the first 20 minutes of play while Montevallo hit 16-of-29 field goals for 55.2 percent. The Blazers fought back during the first six minutes of the second half, cutting their deficit to 11 three times, but were unable to get closer. The half started with Jamahl Stokes hitting one-of-two free throws before Devario Hudson scored on a jumper off an offensive rebound. Anthony Brown answered with a lay-up, but Richard Lusane immediately hit a three to cut the UM lead to 45-34. Brown and Hudson proceeded to trade baskets before Kennedy and Stokes matched each other with a pair of free throws apiece. The Falcons scored the next eight points, on a Brown tip-in and threes by Grant Urbanski and Howard as Valdosta State was unable to get any closer. Ricky Coleman scored seven straight for VSU late in the half to cut the Blazer deficit to 12, but each time the Falcons had an answer as they grabbed control of first place in the GSC East Division. Four Blazers scored in double figures, led by Hudson with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Crain also finished with 15 while Coleman tallied 12 and Lusane 11. Valdosta State shot 31.6 percent (24-of-76) in the game and hit nine-of-22 threes (40.9 percent). The Blazers registered a season-low four turnovers, including none in the second half. Kennedy led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting while Brown hit 13-of-14 free throws and finished with 19 points. Howard also finished in double figures with 10 while Brown had 10 rebounds. The Falcons shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) in the game and hit 22-of-27 free throws (81.5 percent). UM owned a 49-36 advantage in rebounding, despite 21 VSU offensive rebounds, and turned the ball over 15 times. Valdosta State returns to action on Saturday, January 27 when it closes out the first round of GSC East play with a game at West Florida. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST.

Blazers Withstand West Alabama 81-70

2007-01-20

LIVINGSTON, Ala. - Valdosta State built a 20-point first half lead and withstood a second half West Alabama comeback bid as the Blazers defeated the Tigers 81-70 in Gulf South Conference action at Pruitt Hall Saturday night. The Blazers (14-4, 3-1) never trailed as they scored 10 of the first 13 points of the game. Devario Hudson opened the scoring with a jumper and later added a dunk before Stan Gill got the Tigers (6-11, 1-3) on the board with a three. Richard Lusane answered with a three for VSU and Herman Burge added a trifecta of his own to post Valdosta State to a 10-3 advantage with 14:59 to go in the first half. West Alabama fought back, cutting its deficit to 16-15 four and a half minutes later. Jared Hembree started the UWA comeback with a three, only to have VSU score four straight on a Mike Crain free throw and a Lusane three. Abdoulaye N'diaye hit a lay-up and Hembree a second three before Patrick Winters cut the Tiger deficit to 14-13 with a jumper. Ricky Banner pushed the Blazer advantage back to three with a jumper, but Joe Eatmon responded with a lay-up to get UWA as close as it would get on the night. VSU scored 18 of the next 22 points to push its advantage above 10. Ricky Coleman led the way with eight points, including two threes, during the run while Herman Burge added five, included a three-point play to push the Blazer advantage to 34-19 with 5:08 remaining in the half. Valdosta State eventually built its lead to 48-38, before settling for a 48-31 halftime lead. The Tigers spent little time in fighting back as they scored the first 12 points of the second half to close to within five. Michael Billings started the half with a three and Hembree hit a pair of free throws before adding a three of his own. Gill finished the run with a pair of jumpers to cut the Valdosta State lead to 48-43 with 16:01 to go in the game. After a VSU timeout, Burge ended the Blazer scoring drought with a three from the top of the key. The two teams battled even over the next four minutes before the Blazers pushed their lead back to double digits for good. Leading 59-50, Hudson got a dunk and Lusane added a three-point play to put Valdosta State up 64-50. The Blazer lead grew to as much as 79-64 on a pair of Burge free throws with 2:10 to go while Gill finished the scoring with a dunk with six seconds remaining. Burge led Valdosta State with 22 points and dished out four assists in the game. Crain added 17 points and Lusane 15 while Coleman finished with 10. The Blazers shot 52.7 percent in the game (29-of-55) and registered nine steals on 18 Tiger turnovers. West Alabama was led by Gill with 24 points while Billings finished with 15. Hembree was also in double figures, tallying 11 points, as the Tigers shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) in the game. UWA owned a 33-31 advantage in rebounding, led by Billings with eight. Valdosta State returns to action on Monday, January 22 when it hosts Montevallo in the P.E. Complex at 8:00 p.m.

Blazers Never Trail in Defeating Alabama-Huntsville 73-59

2007-01-15

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Valdosta State never trailed as the Blazers defeated Alabama-Huntsville 73-59 in Gulf South Conference basketball action at Spragins Hall Monday evening. UAH (12-5, 2-2) shot just 31.0 percent (nine-of-29) during the first 20 minutes of play as Valdosta State (13-4, 2-1) built its lead. After Richard Lusane gave VSU a 2-0 lead with a bucket 38 seconds into the contest, Micah delaRosa responded with a lay-up on the other end. Valdosta State scored the next five points of the game, on a Devario Hudson lay-up and a Mike Crain three to gain control of the game for good. Two Casey Stafford free throws cut the VSU lead to 7-4 with 16:47 remaining, but the Blazers scored 10 of the next 14 points to push its advantage to nine. Herman Burge opened the run with a jumper and, after Stafford responded with a field goal, Mike Crain hit a jumper in the lane. Ricky Coleman added a three-point play and Crain another three, after a Cody Jones jumper, to give VSU a 17-8 advantage with 10:47 remaining in the first half. The Valdosta State lead reached as high as 12, at 22-10 with 8:32 to go in the half, and dipped to as low as four on two different occasions before eventually settling at 38-31 at the half. Alabama-Huntsville closed to within two by scoring the first five points of the second half, only to have VSU score eight straight. Crain scored four straight points, Jamahl Stokes added a dunk and Hudson a lay-up in the run which ended with a 46-36 Blazer edge. The Chargers got no closer than seven the rest of the game as the VSU lead stayed above 10 for the final 12:09 of the game. The Blazers led by as much as 15 on two different occasions and outscored UAH 35-28 in the final 20 minutes of play, despite shooting 37.9 percent (11-of-29) in the half. Crain led all scorers with 20 points while Hudson tallied his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-best 17 rebounds. Burge finished with 12 points and nine assists while Matt Kuhns posted a career-high 16 points. The Blazers shot 41.3 percent (26-of-63) in the game and hit 11-of-26 threes (42.3 percent). Valdosta State owned a 46-30 advantage in rebounds and dished out 16 assists while turning the ball over just nine times. DelaRosa scored 17 to lead the Chargers while Jason Smith finished with 16 points. Smith also dished out a team-best five steals and led Alabama-Huntsville with six rebounds. UAH shot 34.0 percent (17-of-50) in the game, but hit just four-of-17 threes. Valdosta State returns to action when it visits West Alabama on Saturday, January 20. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST.

Blazers Fall 77-63 to North Alabama

2007-01-13

FLORENCE, Ala. -- North Alabama snapped Valdosta State's nine-game winning streak as the Lions defeated the Blazers 77-63 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at Flowers Hall. The Blazers (12-4, 1-1) shot just 27.8 percent (10-of-36) during the first half of play in allowing North Alabama (9-9, 2-1) to grab control of the game. The game remained close for the first 10 minutes of play as the score was tied six times and the teams traded the lead on eight occasions. However, the Lions took charge over a six minute span in which it held Valdosta State without a basket. After Herman Burge hit a jumper to put the Blazers up 19-18 with 10:16 remaining, the Blazers did not manage another basket and scored just one point over the next six minutes. The Lions scored 10 of 11 points during the span, which saw VSU miss eight consecutive shots. Jamahl Stokes finally ended the Blazer scoring drought with a put-back basic with 4:26 remaining in the half. The Lion lead continued to grow the remainder of the half, topping out at 39-26 on a Jerrell Vinson basket with eight seconds to go in the half. Valdosta State cut its deficit to nine early in the second half, but North Alabama responded with a 16-7 spurt that saw its lead grow to 55-39 with 14:16 to go in the game. The Blazers cut their deficit to eight twice in the final seven minutes of the game only to have the Lions rebuild a double-digit lead each time. UNA sealed the victory by hitting seven-of-nine free throws in the final two minutes of play. Herman Burge tallied 16 points to lead Valdosta State, which shot 35.2 percent (25-of-71) from the floor in the game. Mike Crain scored 11 for the Blazers while Stokes finished with a team-high 10 rebounds. Four Lions scored in double figures, led by Esmir Guzonjic with 18 points. Milton Nance tallied 17, Kenny Johnson 12 and Vinson 10 for North Alabama, which shot 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the floor. Vinson (13) and Guzonjic (10) also tallied double-digit rebounds in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, January 15 when it travels to Huntsville, Ala. to face Alabama-Huntsville at 9:00 p.m.

Blazers Hold Off West Georgia 85-82

2007-01-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a lead and withstood a frantic comeback bid by West Georgia in the final minute of the game to claim an 85-82 Gulf South Conference victory over the Wolves in the P.E. Complex Tuesday evening. With the score tied 54-54, the Blazers (12-3, 1-0) held the Wolves (6-8, 0-2) scoreless for 6:35 of game clock to build a nine-point cushion at 63-54. Matt Kuhns opened the run with a three from the right corner before Ricky Coleman hit a pull up jumper. Herman Burge and Richard Lusane added fast break lay-ups to give VSU its nine-point advantage with 7:07 to go in the game. West Georgia answered with a Travis Hall three 25 seconds later only to have Burge respond with a three of his own. The Wolves managed to get the lead to as close as four, at 72-68 on a Terrence Hundley trifecta with 3:30 to go, only to have Valdosta State build its advantage to d

Blazers Power Past Webber International 102-58

2007-01-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta

Herman Burge Named GSC Player-of-the-Week

2007-01-03

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Herman Burge was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week on Wednesday after leading the Valdosta State Blazers to a 2-0 record during the holiday season. Burge opened his week by scoring 12 points and dishing out eight assists as Valdosta State defeated Florida Tech 89-66 on December 22. Burge hit four-of-10 field goal attempts during the game, including three-of-seven from beyond the three point line. He also pulled down two rebounds and registered two steals while turning the ball over just two times. The 5'8 senior from Midwest City, Okla. enjoyed perhaps his best game as a Blazer on December 30 as Valdosta State defeated Nova Southeastern 97-66, avenging an earlier 14-point loss to the Sharks. Burge tallied career highs in points (20), assists (15) and steals (six) in leading the Blazers to victory. His 15 assists were just one off the school record of 16 held by Steve Cronic and the 20-point, 15-assist outing marked the second double-double of his career. Burge was successful on six-of-nine field goal attempts in the game, including five-of-six three-point tries. He was a perfect three-of-three from the free throw line and pulled down four rebounds, while turning the ball over just two times. Over the course of the two-game span, Burge averaged 16.0 points and 11.5 assists a game. He tallied 19 more assists than turnovers and registered a 5.75 assist-to-turnover ratio. Burge shot 52.6 percent from the field, including 61.5 percent from three point.

Blazers Overpower Nova Southeastern 97-66

2006-12-30

VALDOSTA, Ga. -%3

Blazers Defeat Florida Tech 89-66

2006-12-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State shot 57.1 percent from the floor en route to a 43-21 halftime lead as the Blazers claimed an 89-66 non-conference victory over Florida Tech Friday night at the P.E. Complex. VSU (9-3) connected on 16-of-28 field goals, including eight-of-16 threes, during the first 20 minutes in building its 20-point lead. Meanwhile, the Blazer defense forced 14 FIT turnovers in the half while limiting the Panthers to just six field goals on 21 attempts (28.6 percent). The Blazers opened the game on a 10-2 run as it never trailed in the contest. Devario Hudson started the run with a baseline jumper and, after a Janko Mrksic putback for FIT (4-8), Mike Crain nailed a three to give Valdosta State the lead for good. Crain added a jumper and Ricky Coleman ended the run with a trifecta before the Panthers scored their second basket of the game with 14:35 to go in the half. Florida Tech sliced its deficit to 13-9 with 12:12 remaining before Valdosta State pushed its advantage above double-digits with a 9-2 spurt. Herman Burge stared the run with a three and Jamahl Stokes added a pair of free throws, but Jod Kelley hit answered with a pair of shots from the charity stripe. Richard Lusane and Matt Kuhns proceeded to hit a pair of lay-ups to give VSU a 22-11 lead with 8:36 to go in the half. The Blazer lead steadily grew the remainder of the half, topping out at 43-21 when Crain banked in a three from 27 feet out as the horn sounded. The Panthers cut the deficit to 19, at 52-33, five minutes into the second half, only to have Valdosta State score 22 of the nest 30 points. Five Blazers scored during the run, which ended with VSU holding a 74-41 advantage with 8:12 remaining in the contest. The Blazer advantage dipped no lower than 23 the rest of the way as Valdosta State won its sixth-straight contest. Coleman tallied a career-best 17 points to lead all scorers while Crain finished with 16. Lusane added 15 points off theinished with 16. Lusane added 15 points off the bench and Burge tallied 12 points and llen also finished in double figures with 10 as the Blazers shot 46.6 percent (34-of-73) in the contest. Valdosta State turned the ball over just 12 times in the game and registered a season-high 15 steals on 21 Florida Tech turnovers. Kelley and Justin Sedlak both finished with 10 points to lead FIT. Kelley also finished with nine rebounds, tying VSU's Stokes for game-high, as each team registered 40 rebounds in the game. Florida Tech shot 38.9 percent in the game (21-of-54), but hit 12 more free throw attempts than VSU. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, December 30 when it hosts Nova Southeastern in the P.E. Complex at 4:00 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader with the VSU Lady Blazers, who host Paine College at 2:00 p.m.

Blazers Top Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras 108-74

2006-12-17

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Ray Canady scored a season-high 20 points to lead Valdosta State to a 108-74 non-conference victory over Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras in the first game of the Florida Gulf Coast Holiday Classic Sunday evening at Alico Arena. Canady hit all six of his field goal attempts and was a perfect eight-of-eight from the free throw line. He also pulled down 11 rebounds for the third double-double of his career. The Blazers (7-3) never trailed in the contest as they scored the first seven points of the game. Devario Hudson began the game with a jumper before Jamahl Stokes added a lay up. Mike Crain closed out the run with a three to give VSU its seven-point advantage. Savier Morales hit two free throws to get the Gallitos (0-3) on the board, only to have VSU push its advantage to 16-2 with a nine-point spurt. Four different Blazers scored during the run, which ended with a Ricky Coleman three with 14:06 to go in the first half. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras hit his first field goal of the game with 12:51 to go in the half and cut the lead to nine three different times, but was unable to get closer. The Blazers led by as much as 26, on a Coleman three-point play, in the frame before settling on a 59-36 halftime lead. Valdosta State shot 57.1 percent (20-of-35) in the first half, including 52.9 percent (nine-of-17) from beyond the three-point line. Richard Lusane (12) and Crain (11) both finished the period with double-digit points while Canady tallied nine. The Blazer lead dipped no lower than 23 in the second half and rose to as high as 34 on a pair of Canady free throws with a second remaining. PRRP hit 15 of its 30 shots during the final 20 minutes while holding VSU to 41.5 percent (17-of-41) shooting in the frame. Four Blazers joined Canady with double-digit points as Lusane finished with 14, Crain 13, Coleman 10 and Stokes 10. Herman Burge had nine assists against just one turnover in the game while Matt Kuhns had nine points and a personal-best 10 rebounds. Valdosta State shot 48.7 percent (37-of-76) in the contest and owned a 54-37 advantage in rebounding. The Blazers also tallied 22 assists in the game while committing just eight turnovers. The Gallitos were led by Norberto Rivera with 19 points while Nestor Alvarez had 12 and Juan Reyes 10. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras shot 40.3 percent (25-of-62) in game and turned the ball over 15 times. Valdosta State returns to action Monday night at 7:30 p.m. when it plays Florida Gulf Coast in the final day of play at the FGCU Holiday Classic.

Valdosta State Victorious over Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

2006-12-17

PHENIX CITY , Ala. - Valdosta State overcame a six-point halftime deficit to defeat Columbus State 63-61 in non-conference action at Key Hall on the campus of Chattahoochee Valley Community College Friday evening. After playing a closely fought, back-and-forth battle with the Blazes (6-3) during the first 15 minutes of the game, the Cougars (5-3) used a short spurt right before the end of the first half to claim a 35-29 advantage at the intermission. Columbus State pushed its lead to 39-32 early in the second half before the VSU defense gave the visitors the lead. The Blazers went on a 9-0 run over a two-minute span, fueled by six points from Devario Hudson, to claim a 41-39 advantage with 12:36 remaining in the game. The teams fought to an even draw over the next four minutes before Valdosta State agains used a run to claim a ten-point lead. The Blazers outscored the Cougars 14-4 during a two and a half minute span to grab a 57-47 advantage with 6:09 remaining. CSU responded with a 12-2 spurt over the next five minutes to tie the score at 61 with 1:36 to go, but Valdosta State's Richard Lusane hit a jumper thirty seconds later to give the Blazers a two-point advantage. VSU survived three Columbus State field goal attempts in the final 45 seconds to claim the victory. Mike Crain led Valdosta State with 13 points while Hudson finished with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season. Lusane also tallied 10 points for the Blazers, who shot 46.6 percent (27-of-58) on the night. Herman Burge finished with nine points and seven assists on the evening. Valdosta State claimed a 40-33 advantage in turnovers and registered nine steals in the game. Columbus State was led by Alton Hart, who hit 11-of-12 field goal attempts and tallied 27 points and 12 rebounds. Corris Portis finished with 11 points for the Cougars, who shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) for the contest. However, CSU hit just two-of-19 threes in the game and were 0-of-10 from beyond the arc during the decisive second half of play. Valdosta State returns to action Sunday, December 17 when it faces Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras in the first day of action at the Florida Gulf Coast Holiday Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. The game is slated for a 5:00 p.m. tip.

Men's Basketball Blows by LaGrange 104-77

2006-12-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Mike Crain and Richard Lusane each scored 21 points to lead Valdosta State to a 104-77 non-conference victory over LaGrange Saturday evening at the P.E. Complex. LaGrange (6-3) kept the game close through the first 11 minutes of action as the Panthers claimed a 21-20 lead with a Demetris Render jumper with 9:22 remaining in the first half. However, Valdosta State (5-3) responded with a 16-3 run to grab control of the game. Crain hit a free throw, his only point of the first half, to open the spurt before Ricky Banner broke the tie with a jumper. Lusane added a put-back off of his own missed jumper and, after a Herman Burge lay-up and a pair of Panther free throws, hit a three to push the VSU advantage to 32-24. Jamahl Stokes added a tip-in bucket and Burge a pair of free throws to push the Blazer lead to 36-24 with 4:27 to go in the half. The Panthers responded with five quick points, on a Kevin Kelly three and a Justin Hodges lay-up, to push their deficit back below double digits, only to have Valdosta State close the half on a 9-3 run as the Blazers led 45-32 at the half. A Crain three-point play to open the second half pushed the Valdosta State lead to 16 before LaGrange used an 11-3 spurt to close to within eight with 16:39 remaining. Michael Patterson began the run with a pair of free throws while Robby Lawrence hit a three to close the Panthers to within 11. Crain, who scored 20 second half points, answered with a three of his own, but Render responded with a jumper and a pair of free throws before Patterson closed the run with a jumper to close LaGrange to within 51-43. The Blazer lead hovered around the 10-point mark for the next four minutes before 25-10 run to push its lead above 20 points for good. Lusane hit three threes during the run and added a pair of free throws while Crain tallied six points on a pair of shots from the charity shots and two acrobatic reverse lay-ups as the VSU advantage grew to 87-63 with 7:08 to go. Burge gave the Blazers their third 100-point outing of the 2006-07 season when he hit a pair of three throws with 2:13 to go. After missing the last two games due to injury, Lusane hit seven-of-12 field goals, including five-of-eight trifectas, in scoring his 21 points. Crain connected on seven-of-13 field goals as five Blazers scored in double figures. Burge finished with 17 points while Stokes registered his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Banner also scored 13 for Valdosta State, who shot 52.8 percent (38-of-72) in the game. The Blazers registered 14 steals on 25 Panther turnovers in the game. Three LaGrange players scored in double figures, led by Render who tallied 20. Antoine Maddox and Lawrence both finished with 13 as the Panthers shot 37.3 percent (25-of-67) from the floor. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, December 15 when it travels to Columbus to face Columbus State at 7:00 p.m

Men's Basketball Falls 96-82 to Nova Southeastern

2006-11-25

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Valdosta State saw its comeback bid fall short as the Blazers fell 96-82 to Nova Southeastern Saturday evening in the NSU Thanksgiving Classic. The Sharks (2-1) led by as much as 17 points in the first half as it shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32) while committing just three turnovers in the frame. The largest NSU advantage came with 6:46 to go in the half as Diego Aguiar's lay up posted Nova Southeastern to a 39-22 advantage. Valdosta State (3-2) fought back over the next four minutes, using a 13-3 run to cut its deficit to just seven points. Ricky Coleman started the spurt with a pair of back-to-back jumpers before Devario Hudson added a tip-in to cut the deficit to 42-28. Ricky Banner proceeded to add a pair of jumpers and ended the run with a three-point play to close the Blazers to within 42-35. Nova Southeastern answered with a 10-4 run of its own to close the half with a 52-39 advantage. The Blazers scored the first 10 points of the second half to close to within three. Mike Crain began the run with a tip in before Richard Lusane hit a pair of free throws. Jamahl Stokes and Hudson added a pair of jumpers before Mike Crain closed VSU to within 52-49 with a jumper with 17:23 to go in the game. NSU responded by scoring the next five points and trailed by no less than six the rest of the game in claiming the victory. The Shark lead grew to as much as 19, at 92-73, with 5:04 remaining, but the Blazers limited Nova Southeastern to a pair of free throws and a lay up the rest of the way. Crain scored 17 points to lead the Blazers, who had five players score in double figures. Stokes added 14 points and Banner 13 while Hudson poured in 12. Ricky Coleman also put up double digit points with 11. Valdosta State shot 45.2 percent in the game, but was limited to 38.7 percent (12-of-31) in the second half. Six Sharks scored in double figures as Nova Southeastern shot 54.5 percent from the floor. Aguiar led the way with 18 while David Naylor scored 15 and Tim Coenraad 14. Rhys Martin and Donovan Redden scored 12 each while Tomas Portuondo tallied 13. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, December 1 when it opens play in the PAB Classic in the P.E. Complex. West Alabama and Georgia Southwestern play in the first game of the tournament, tipping off at 4:00 p.m. while the Blazers play North Georgia at 8:00 p.m.

Men's Basketball Defeats Albany State 111-81

2006-11-21

VALDOSTA, Ga. - For the second time in as many home games Valdosta State topped 100-points as the Blazers defeated Albany State 111-81 in non-conference basketball action at the P.E. Complex Tuesday evening. The Blazers (2-1) controlled the game from the outset as they used an 11-1 run over a two and a half minute span to claim a lead it would not relinquish. With the score tied at 13-13 with 11:14 to go in the first half, Jamahl Stokes started the run with a three point play before Mike Crain hit a lay up. Derrick Allen added a jumper and Richard Lusane a three to push the VSU lead to double digits at 23-13. After ASU's Tyrone Evans hit a free throw to push the advantage back to single digits, Devario Hudson responded with a jumper to post the Blazers to a 25-14 lead with 9:25 to go in the half. The Golden Rams (0-2) cut their deficit back to only three points, at 27-24 over the next three minutes thanks in large part to their ability to score from the free throw line. ASU hit five-of-seven free throws during the span, including three by Jarett Mathis. The lead hovered below 10 points for much of the remainder of the half before VSU got a pair of threes from Derrick Allen and Matt Kuhns in the final minute to claim a 51-37 halftime lead. Herman Burge opened the second half with a pair of three pointers, spurring a 14-3 run to open that half that saw the VSU lead reach 25 points. Lusane added another three and Burge his third of the half before Ray Canady's dunk with 16:42 remaining in the game gave the Blazers a 65-40 advantage. Albany State got no closer than 14 the rest of the game, at 77-63 with 10:16 remaining, while Valdosta State led by as much 32, at 104-72 with 2:21 to go. The Blazers shot 60.5 percent (23-of38) in the second half, including hitting eight-of-13 threes (61.5 percent). "I thought we played hard tonight," said VSU head coach Mike Helfer after the game. "We may not have played real smart the whole game, but we got a lot of production out of a lot of people. We still have a lot to work on but overall I was happy with the game." Stokes led Valdosta State with a season-high 22 points while Allen finished with 17. Burge and Lusane each added 13 while Canady finished with 12. Hudson registered his first double-double, scoring 10 points and having a game-high 13 rebounds. Burge also dished out six assists as Valdosta State shot 60.0 percent (42-of-70) in the game. The Blazers owned a 41-27 advantage in rebounding and recorded 10 steals on 17 Albany State turnovers. Mathis scored 22 to lead the Golden Rams, who also had Frank Pinson score 21. Evans and Durrell Sykes also finished with double-digit points, tallying 11 and 10, respectively. The Golden Rams shot 44.2 percent from the floor and hit 30-of-40 free throw attempts in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Friday, November 24 when it opens play in the Nova Southeastern Thanksgiving Classic against Barry at 6:00 p.m.

Men's Basketball Falls 105-74 to Georgia

2006-11-18

ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs shot 70 percent in the second half in defeating Valdosta State 105-74 in non-conference action at Stegeman Coliseum Saturday afternoon. The Blazers (1-1) kept the game close through the first 11 minutes of action, battling to a 21-18 deficit with 8:56 remaining in the first half. VSU scored the first bucket on a Devario Hudson baseline jumper before the Bulldogs (2-1) tied the game on a pair of Levi Stukes free throws. The game see-sawed for three minutes before Georgia slowly built an eight-point advantage at 19-11. However, Valdosta State fought back, getting a three from Mike Crain, a lay up by Burge and another baseline jumper from Hudson to slice the lead to 21-18. Georgia responded with a 13-3 spurt to push its advantage back to double digits at 6-23 only to have Valdosta State score four straight to push the deficit back under double digits. However, UGA closed the half on a 11-4 run to lead 47-31 at the half. The Bulldog lead steadily grew through the first eight minutes of the second half, hitting 20 at 65-45 with 12:02 remaining in the game. The Blazers pushed the UGA lead back to 16 on a Hudson put back with 9:17 remaining, but Georgia responded with a 9-0 run to push the lead to above 20 for good. VSU stayed within 25 points for much of the rest of the game, before pulling its starters with three minutes to go. The Blazer reserves hit three threes, two by Galen Gardenhire and one by Matt Kuhns, but the Bulldog frontline proved to be too much in the closing minute, capping the victory with a Billy Humphrey dunk with six seconds remaining. Hudson hit 12-of-16 field goals in the game to finish with a game-high 24 points while Crain was nine-of-15 with 23 points. Herman Burge dished out eight assists and had five steals for the second game in a row. The Blazers shot 46.7 percent in the game, hitting 28-of-60 field goal attempts, and registered 10 steals in the game. Takais Brown scored 23 to lead the Bulldogs, who had five players score in double figures. UGA shot 57.1 percent in the game behind a 21-of-30 showing from the floor in the second half. Georgia owned a 39-27 edge in rebounding and blocked seven shots. Valdosta State returns to the P.E. Complex Tuesday, November 21 when the Blazers host Albany State at 7:30 p.m.

Men's Basketball Falls 76-71 to North Georgia

2006-11-18

VALDOSTA, Ga. - North Georgia shot 56.5 percent in the second half and overcame a seven point halftime deficit to defeat Valdosta State 76-71 in the first day of action at the Park Avenue Bank Classic at the P.E. Complex Friday evening. The Saints (3-4) connected on 13 of their 23 field goals in the final 20 minutes of action in out-scoring the Blazers (3-3) 47-35 in the half. Valdosta State shot 55.2 percent in the first 20 minutes of action to build its halftime advantage. Leading 15-14, the Blazers used a 7-0 run to grab control of the game. Jamahl Stokes opened the run with a jumper before Ricky Coleman added another jumper the next trip down the floor. Mike Crain eventually posted VSU to a 22-14 advantage with a three-pointer. The Blazer lead grew to as much as 27-18 before North Georgia fought back. The saints used an 11-4 run, fueled by five points from Dustin David to cut the VSU lead to just two points. Jay Anderson hit a pair of free throws to start the spurt before David connected on a three. After a Ricky Banner jumper and a Devario Hudson dunk moved the Valdosta State lead back to eight, David added a shot in the lane and a free throw. Lee Burrell finished the run with a three to close the Saints to within two points at 31-29. Valdosta State got a lay-up from Crain and a three from Coleman to close the half to gain its seven point advantage. The VSU lead again peaked at nine in the second half, at 38-29, but North Georgia responded with eight straight points to close to within one, at 38-37 with 16:14 remaining. The game seesawed for the next eight minutes with neither team able to take control. North Georgia eventually managed an 11-0 run to grab control of the game. Trailing 56-51, David hit a three and a jumper to tie the game at 56. His second three in two minutes gave the Saints a 59-56 advantage, their first lead since holding a 7-6 advantage. Xavier Trice hit a free throw and David added a pair of free throw to push the North Georgia lead to 62-56 with 6:07 remaining. Valdosta State got no closer than three the rest of the way as the Saints hit eight-of-10 free throws in the final 89 seconds to seal the victory. Hudson scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds to tally his third double-double of the season. The junior forward also blocked a career-high four shots while hitting seven-of-13 field goal attempts. Coleman and Derrick Allen added 11 points apiece while Mike Crain added 10. The Blazers shot just 32.3 percent (10-of-31) in the second half to finish the game at 43.3 percent (26-of-60). David tallied 22 to lead all scores while Trice finished with 18. Jakirra Millsap and Burrell also finished in double figures, totaling 11 points each. The Saints shot 47.9 percent (23-of-48) in the game and hit eight-of-16 three pointers. In the first game of the PAB Classic, Georgia Southwestern defeated West Alabama 73-64. The Hurricanes shot 50.0 percent in the game and were led by Shawn King, who tallied 24 points. Three players scored 11 points to lead the Tigers, who were held to 38.8 percent. The PAB Classic continues on Saturday when West Alabama and North Georgia meet at 3:30 p.m. and Georgia Southwestern and Valdosta State conclude play at 8:00 p.m.

Men's Basketball Hosts LIFE STEPS COMMUNITY School Group

2006-11-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. (special to the VSU Athletics website)- Valdosta State University students opened their arms and hearts to forty-eight LIFE STEPS Community School students and eight adult volunteers Wednesday night, Nov. 15, during the VSU Blazers vs. Carver Bible basketball game. This was the second Blazer Buddies event for LIFE STEPS Community School, a local non-profit organization whose mission is "helping youth take positive steps." VSU Athletics Department donated admission tickets. Director Herb Reinhard remarked, "We had these youth come to a football game last year and it was a big success." Other VSU sponsors included the Dean of Students Office, Student Life, Volunteer Services, Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Zeta Tau Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sororities, VSU Athletics Dept., Blazer Men's Basketball, and VSU Cheerleaders. VSU Football Assistant Coach and principal event organizer Timi Aganga-Williams designed the Blazer Buddies logo and put together gift bags for the youth. Russ Mast, Dean of Students, donated hot dogs and drinks. Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society provided Blazer Buddies tee shirts for all the LIFE STEPS guests. During the game each LIFE STEPS student "buddied" with two or more VSU students. Following the game, they joined the basketball players and head men's basketball coach Mike Helfer on the court where the players autographed programs and kids shot baskets. When asked if she enjoyed Blazer Buddies event, one of the LIFE STEPS student replied, "Awesome. Off the chain. Can we do this again?" For more information about LIFE STEPS contact Rev. J.D. Martin, 247-2763, or Diane W. Howard, LIFE STEPS director, 244-3998 or dhoward202@mchsi.com

Valdosta State Races by Carver 130-62

2006-11-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Six Valdosta State players scored in double figures as the Blazers defeated Carver 130-62 in non-conference action at the P.E. Complex Wednesday night. The Blazers (1-0) never trailed as they scored the first five points of the game on a Herman Burge three-pointer and a dunk by Mike Crain. VSU's lead grew to as much as 23-9 over the first eight minutes of the game as the Blazers connected on four trifectas during that span. Carver (2-3) cut its deficit back to single digits by scoring seven of the next nine points of the game, but Valdosta State with a 20-10 spurt that put the Blazer lead at 45-26 with 3:06 remaining in the half. The VSU advantage grew to as much as 22 twice over the final three minutes of the half before settling at 53-33 at the intermission. The Valdosta State lead quickly grew to 40 in the opening minutes of the second half as the Blazers hit 10 of their first 15 field goals of the second half. The Blazers proceeded to score 40 of the first 50 points of the second period, pushing the advantage to 50 points at 93-43 with 11:44 remaining in the game. The Blazer lead hovered in the 50's for the next nine minutes, with Valdosta State breaking the century mark on a Ricky Coleman field goal with 9:38 remaining in the game. A 12-3 run over a 1:38 span pushed the lead to 65 while a pair of Coleman free throws with eight second remaining sealed the final score. Crain scored a game-high 18 points while Devario Hudson added 17. Richard Lusane added 15 points, Coleman 14 and Derrick Allen 13 while Burge poured in 12 points and registered 11 assists. The Blazers shot 45.0 percent (47-of-95) from the field and hit 17-of-45 threes in the game. Reggie Anderson and Reico Carter each poured in 10 for the Cougars, who shot 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the floor. Carver turned the ball over 31 times in the game, compared to just 11 by Valdosta State. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, November 18 when it travels to Athens, Ga. to face Georgia at 4:00 p.m. in Stegeman Coliseum.

VALDOSTA STATE FINISHES FIRST WEEK OF PRESEASON PRACTICE

2006-10-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State men's basketball team began its second week of preseason practice Monday after completing a week that head coach Mike Helfer termed slow but educational. "The first week of practice is always slow," said Helfer. "The first week is when you teach details and how to do things correctly so it always seems to go a little slower. You have to take time on the details so you spend a little extra time working on things. However, those details are what make you successful down the road so the first week serves as a building block for the rest of the season." However, the slow process of teaching does not mean that Helfer has not been pleased with the results that he has seen on the floor. "I thought practice has gone very well," he continued. "Our guys have responded well and have already shown improvements so we are on the right track." One player in particular has impressed Helfer in the early going, that being 6'6 junior forward Devario Hudson, who transferred to Valdosta State from Division I Duquesne over the summer. "We have been very pleased with Devario so far," added Helfer. "As of right now, he is the best rebounder I have ever coached. We are expecting big things out of him this season." The Blazers also learned last Thursday that they had been picked to finish fourth in the Gulf South Conference East Division, according to a poll conducted among the league's coaches. "I don't put a lot of stock in the preseason polls because at this time of the year you really don't know what other teams have in terms of talent," concluded Helfer. "Everyone has new players and you just don't know what to expect out of players from other teams, so it is hard to predict the conference finish at this stage. However, fourth is about where I expected us to be picked because we have so many new guys. No one really knows anything about us." Helfer and his squad continue their preseason preparations in the coming week. The Blazers open their 2006-07 season on Wednesday, November 15 when they host Carver at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers return four letterwinners, including two starters, off of a team that finished 17-11 last season.

VALDOSTA STATE ANNOUNCES 2006-07 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

2006-09-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A visit to Athens to face Georgia and seven games against NCAA tournament teams from last season highlight the 2006-07 Valdosta State men's basketball schedule according to an announcement made by head coach Mike Helfer Wednesday. The Blazers open the season Wednesday, November 15 when they host Carver in the P.E. Complex at 7:30 p.m. before traveling up I-75 to Athens for a date against the Bulldogs on Saturday, November 18. The Georgia game, which was added to the schedule in early September, is one that Helfer feels will be of great benefit to his program. "As a Division II program in the state of Georgia, playing the University of Georgia brings great publicity to our basketball team, our University and our community," Helfer said in making the announcement. "It is a great opportunity and we are looking forward to the experience." VSU returns home to the P.E. Complex to host Albany State on Tuesday, November 21 and closes out November by traveling to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to compete in the Nova Southeastern Classic on Friday, the 24th of November and Saturday, the 25th. Valdosta Stat opens December by hosting the Park Avenue Bank Classic in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers play North Georgia on Friday, December 1 before wrapping up the tournament by playing Georgia Southwestern on Saturday, December 2. After a home game against LaGrange on Saturday, December 9, the Blazers play their first NCAA Tournament team from last year when they travel to Columbus State on Friday, December 15. The month is rounded out by a pair of games against Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras and Florida Gulf Coast in Ft. Myers, Fla. as well as a pair of home games against Florida Tech and Nova Southeastern. "I am pleased with our schedule and think that it will be very demanding," Helfer continued. "The Georgia game stands out, but we have seven games against NCAA tournament teams from a year ago. It will certainly be a test for us from start to finish." After a non-conference game against Webber International January 4, VSU opens Gulf South Conference play Monday, January 8 against West Georgia in the P.E. Complex. Three of the Blazers' next four games are against 2006 NCAA Tournament games as VSU visits North Alabama January 13, Alabama-Huntsville, January 15 and hosts Montevallo January 22. Valdosta State also hosts Alabama-Huntsville (February 3) and North Alabama (February 5) while visiting Montevallo (February 19) during conference play. "The GSC is always one of the toughest NCAA DII conferences in the nation," Helfer concluded. "From top to bottom, every team is talented, well coached and well supported. I would expect nothing less this year and we will have to play well each and every night to be successful. The Blazers return three letterwinners, including two starters, off of a squad that went 17-11 during the 2005-06 season.

VALDOSTA STATE ANNOUNCES MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES

2006-08-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Nine student-athletes have signed to play men's basketball at Valdosta State beginning with the 2006-07 season according to an announcement made by head coach Mike Helfer Wednesday. The Blazers' backcourt will benefit the most from the incoming class, as six of the nine players will provide depth at the guard position in Helfer's fast-paced offense. Included among the new guards are 6'5 Derrick Allen, who starred at Clark Atlanta last season. Allen averaged 22 points, tops in the SIAC in 2005-06, 7 rebounds and 4 assists a game for the Panthers last year. Helfer also welcomes a pair of guards from Southern Polytechnic State to the 2006-07 team. Richard Lusane, a 6'5 native of Atlanta, averaged 12 points and 3 rebounds a game last year for the Running Hornets. He finished the year sixth in the nation in three-point percentage as he connected on 72-of-154 of the trifectas he attempted for a 47% average. Matt Kuhns also transfers in from Southern Polytechnic State after averaging 8 points and three rebounds a game in 2005-06. Rounding out the six guards are juniors Ricky Coleman and Galen Gardenhire as well as freshman Anthony Passmore. Coleman, a Fort Worth, Texas native, registered 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals a game for Eastern Oklahoma State College last season while Gardenhire, another Atlanta native, averaged 5 points and 1 rebound a game for Division I Alabama A

FORMER BLAZER JON ROGERS TO PLAY IN NBA SUMMER LEAGUE

2006-07-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Former Valdosta State men's basketball player Jon Rogers has been invited to play in the NBA's summer league with the Washington Wizards according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer Thursday. Rogers, a 6'9 center from Hahira, Ga., played in 109 of 110 games during his four-year Blazer career, starting 84 of those contests. He scored 1,148 points, an average of 10.5 points a game, and grabbed 804 rebounds, 7.4 per outing. Rogers shot 55.0% from the field during his career, converting 405-of-730 field goal attempts, and blocked 195 shots. He also tallied 69 steals and 43 assists. "This is a great honor for Jon and for our program," said Helfer. "I think Jon has earned the chance to test his abilities at the next level. He is certainly a great player and I think that showed during his time here at VSU. More importantly, he has matured as a person and I think he will be able to compete on the professional level." Last season, Rogers averaged 17.0 points a game, scoring 475 points in 28 games, while tallying 272 rebounds, a 9.7 average. He hit 168-of-297 field goal attempts (56.6%) and blocked a career-best 78 shots. The Washington Wizards summer league team will compete in the Toshiba Vegas Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada starting today, Thursday, July 6 and running through Friday, July 14 before traveling to Long Beach, Calif. to compete in the Long Beach Summer League July 14-18.

Men's Basketball Downs Georgia Southwestern 66-59

2006-02-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State overcame a 15-point second half deficit to defeat Georgia Southwestern 66-59 in the final game of the Park Avenue Bank Classic Saturday evening in the P.E. Complex. The Hurricanes (3-1) shot 70.0 percent in the first half of play and hit five of their first eight field goals in the second half in building their largest lead at 47-32 with 14:33 to go in the game. The Blazers (4-3) took over from there, limiting Georgia Southwestern to just four field goals on 13 attempts. Meanwhile, VSU, who shot just 33.3 percent in the first half and two of its first nine second half shots, connected on 12-of-20 field goals in the final 14 minutes of the game. Devario Hudson started the Valdosta State comeback with a jumper before hitting one of two free throws to slice the VSU deficit to 12. Mike Crain wrapped a jumper and a three around a Georgia Southwestern basket while Hudson cut the Hurricane advantage to just seven, at 49-42, with 10:46 to go. After a Norbey Aragon lay up pushed the GSWSU advantage to 51-42, VSU scored 11 of the next 12 to grab its first lead of the game. Ricky Banner began the run with a lay up before Matt Kuhns hit a three. An Aragon free throw gave the Hurricanes their only point during the spurt as Hudson and Crain hit a pair of jumpers. Ray Canady put Valdosta State on top as he hit two free throws with 5:12 to go for a 53-52 Blazer edge. The next 3:10 of game clock saw a pair of ties and two lead changes before VSU used one final push to claim victory. With the score even at 58-58, Herman Burge hit a three on a fast break. Canady blocked a Shawn King jumper on the other end of the court, giving VSU the chance to use some clock. With the shot clock about to expire, Hudson hit an off-balance three to push the Blazer lead to 64-58. Two missed free throws gave Valdosta State the ball back, allowing Hudson to hit two shots from the charity stripe. Georgia Southwestern had two chances to move closer in the final 35 seconds, but managed only an Antonio Campbell free throw to close out the scoring. Georgia Southwestern wasted little time in opening a double digit lead as the Hurricanes scored 14 of the first 18 points of the game. Aragon hit a three to open the game before VSU's Jamahl Stokes answered with a hook shot. Michael Carter came back for a jumper for Georgia Southwestern and after a pair of Stokes' free throws, Aragon and Campbell hit a pair of lay-ups to push the Hurricane lead to 9-4. King finished the run with a three and a jumper gave GSWSU its 10-point advantage. The lead dipped no lower than six the remainder of the first half and topped out at 35-23 with 1:49 to go in the frame en route to Georgia Southwestern eventually claiming a 35-25 halftime lead. Hudson led Valdosta State with 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Crain also finished in double figures for Valdosta State with 14 as the Blazers shot 42.0 percent (21-of-50) for the contest. VSU owned a 31-24 advantage in rebounding and forced 20 Hurricane turnovers. Four Georgia Southwestern players finished in double figures, led by Aragon with a game-best 19. King finished with 13 points while Adrian Robinson had 12 and Campbell 10. The Hurricanes shot 56.1 percent (23-of-41) from the floor, but hit only eight-of-16 free throw attempts. Valdosta State takes the week off for final exams before returning to action Saturday, December 9 when it hosts LaGrange at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.