FLORENCE, Ala. – Although the Valdosta State men's basketball team led throughout a majority of the contest, fatigue played a factor on Saturday for the Blazers and allowed a second half surge for North Alabama that led the Lions to a 78-64 Gulf South Conference win at Flowers Hall in Florence, Ala.
 
Blake Justice opened up a solid first half for Valdosta State with a quick 18-foot jumper near the top of the key that gave the Blazers a quick 2-0 lead. The shot sparked an 18-5 run for VSU over the course of the first seven minutes of the contest, which consisted of points by six different Blazers.
 
The Lions kept the game within reach, however, by outscoring VSU 12-3 during the next six minutes. Throughout the remainder of the first half, the Blazers capped off a 44.4 percent first half shooting percentage and played strong defense, allowing just 25 first half points to a Lions squad that entered the contest averaging 88 points per game.
 
Working with a five point advantage at the start of the second period, Valdosta State used a three ball from Chris Longoria to spread their lead to eight within the first two minutes. The Blazers suffered a shooting drought in the ensuing seven minutes, however, and didn't connect again from the field until a Longoria layup at the 11:06 mark. UNA used the opportunity to turn the tables and claim their first lead of the night, and the Lions expanded their lead to nine points during the stretch at 44-35.
 
The Blazers regathered themselves for the final ten minutes of the contest, but were never able to overcome the Lions, who shot 58.1 percent in the second half and connected on 4-of-9 from long distance for 44.4 percent.
 
John Fletcher, who entered the game for the Lions with an average of over 16 points per game, was held scoreless by the Blazer defense in the first half. The guard made the necessary adjustment at the break, however, and poured in 19 second half points to lead his team in scoring on the night.
 
Without Saadiq Muhammad, who missed the road trip due to injury, the Blazers also struggled to find an answer for UNA's forward Bilal Richardson, who closed out the night with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
 
The Blazers' top offensive performer was Justin Simon, who scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and just missed a double-double after haulin in eight rebounds.
 
As a team, the Blazers were never able to find their range from long distance and shot just 2-of-22 from beyond the arc. As a result, VSU fell to 11-7 overall, 7-6 in GSC play. With the win, the Lions improved to 12-7 overall and 9-4 in the conference.
 
Valdosta State returns to action on Thursday at home, with an 8:00 p.m. matchup against the Hawks of Shorter.