Box Score VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State Blazers raced out of the gate and never looked back for a convincing 85-72 triumph over the Fort Valley State Wildcats in the squad's season opener on Friday night in Fort Valley, Ga.

The Blazers could do no wrong early in the contest and blistered the Wildcats in the opening minutes to open up a 25-point advantage. Fort Valley leveled off late in the opening period, however, and used the three ball to make a run late in the first half and narrow the deficit to 49-34 at intermission.

Valdosta State made the necessary adjustments at halftime to slow down FVSU's long range attack, and the two teams traded buckets throughout the majority of the second half. Valdosta State's lead proved to be insurmountable, allowing the Blazers to secure the victory in the non-conference showdown.

The key difference came at the charity stripe, where FVSU shot just 12-of-27. In contrast, the Blazers shot 76.7 percent with a 23-of-30 performance.

Four Blazers reached double-digit figures in the scoring column, and Jeremiah Hill and Damian Young paced the effort with 18 points. In addition, five different VSU players hauled in seven or more rebounds. Hill led in the rebounding column as well and nearly missed a double-double after notching a team-high 18 rebounds. 

The Blazers return to action on Saturday at the GSC/SIAC Weekend Regional Challenge with another non-conference matchup against the Albany State Golden Rams. Tip time is slated for 4:00 p.m.