VALDOSTA, Ga. –
Blake Justice became just the 22
nd player in Valdosta State men's basketball history to score 1,000 career points during a much-needed 74-70 Gulf South Conference victory for the Blazers, as VSU defeated the Lee Flames to close out the home stand and snap a three game slide on Saturday evening at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga.
Chase Cullen struck first for the Flames on an early layup to give Lee a lead that would hold for 17 minutes. Valdosta State hung around during the first half, however, and with 3:01 remaining in the period,
Chris Longoria seized on an opportunity and used a pair of foul shots to give VSU their first lead of the contest at 29-28. The teams traded leads two more times in the half, but Justice netted two free throws and a soft shot off of the glass in the final minute to open up a 38-35 lead for the Blazers. In addition,
Jacob Obande tacked on a three ball in the closing seconds to give VSU a six-point lead.
The final field goal of the first half for Justice gave the senior his 1,000
th career point, and a short timeout was called in order to recognize the Peebles, Ohio native for an accomplishment that was reached in less than three full seasons at Valdosta State.
In the second half, the Flames pulled to within two four different times in the final three minutes of the contest, but a resilient effort by the Blazers allowed Head Coach
Mike Helfer's team to hold on to the lead and pick up the victory in front of over 2,000 in attendance.
The Blazers shot 40.9 percent from the field, and
Justin Simon led the charge with 20 points on the night. The junior finished with his fifth double-double of the season after racking up 13 rebounds, eight of which were offensive boards. The Blazers survived 29 points scored by Lee's bench by limiting their turnovers to just six on the night.
With the win, VSU improved to 12-8 overall and 8-7 in league action, while the Flames fell to 6-14 overall, 4-11 against GSC opponents.
Next up for VSU, it's a road trip to Mississippi, beginning with a Thursday night GSC showdown against the Mississippi Choctaws in Clinton, Miss. at 8:30 p.m.
