VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish shot over 50 percent from the floor during Friday night's Holiday Inn Classic matchup against the Valdosta State men's basketball team, but a gutsy performance by the Blazers on the boards and some clutch shooting down the stretch led VSU to an 84-77 win over PBA on Friday night at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga.
 
The Sailfish jumped out in front 6-2 in the opening minutes, but back-to-back three pointers by Tyler Martin and Daemon Ashley fueled a 12-4 run that put the Blazers back in front 14-10 at the 12:30 mark.
 
Both VSU and PBA traded baskets throughout the remainder of the first frame, but the Blazers were able to edge out the Sailfish 41-39 at halftime thanks to 21 points scored by Valdosta State during the final eight minutes of the first half.
 
Palm Beach Atlantic started quickly again in the second half to outscore the Blazers 8-1 during the first four minutes of the period, but Valdosta State quickly found their stroke and mounted a balanced attack to keep the game close. At the 12:30 mark, Blake Justice buried a timely three pointer, one of two for the senior on the night. On VSU's ensuing possession, Justice connected again on a jumper to tie the contest up at 56-56.
 
Less than two minutes later, Jay Watkins returned the advantage to Valdosta State after absorbing a foul while connecting on a close range shot. Watkins added the free throw to put the Blazers up 61-59, but a three pointer by PBA's Bakari Warthen once again returned the lead to the Sailfish.
 
Valdosta State's 34.8 percent shooting night from the three point line paid dividends for the Blazers all night long, and one of the biggest of the night came from Jeremiah Hill with 7:38 remaining in the second half. Hill's clutch three ball gave the Blazers a 67-65 lead, one that VSU would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest.
 
The Blazers, who benefitted from Justin Simon's second straight double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds), outlasted Palm Beach Atlantic to improve to 3-1 following the victory, while the Sailfish fell to 2-3 overall.
 
Five Blazers (Chris Bilbo, Saadiq Muhammad, Hill, Justice, and Simon) reached double-digit figures in the scoring column. Justice led the attack with 15 points, while Muhammad chipped in with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. Valdosta State outlasted the Sailfish, despite a game-high 19 point effort by Warthen, who shot 7-of-17 from the floor.
 
The battle of the boards was also controlled by the Blazers, who pulled down 39 rebounds against PBA's 34. More specifically, VSU's 19 offensive rebounds played a key role, resulting in 22 second-chance points. In contrast, the Sailfish hauled in 11 offensive boards for a total of ten points on put backs.
 
Head Coach Mike Helfer and the Blazers now turn their attention to day two of the Holiday Inn Classic, where they will square off against the Coastal Georgia Mariners on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at The Complex.