WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team delivered another impressive offensive outing and eclipsed the 100-point mark for the second straight game to pick up an important South Region victory over the Lynn Fighting Knights at the Palm Beach Atlantic Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday in West Palm Beach, Fla.
 
The Blazers hit nearly half of their 15 three-point attempts in the first half with Jimmy Kodet, Beau Justice, and Damian Young each contributing multiple long range shots during the period. In contrast, Lynn connected just two times on 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Valdosta State used the sharp-shooting effort to open up a 48-34 lead prior to intermission.
 
Momentum shifted in Lynn's favor after the break, as Lynn allowed one quick bucket by Saadiq Muhammad before stringing together a four-minute run during which the Fighting Knights scored 13 unanswered points. The stretch pulled Lynn to within five points, but Jeremiah Hill snapped the stretch with a vengeance when he flushed home a dunk at the 14:49 mark while drawing a foul. Hill connected from the stripe to complete the three-point play and put VSU in front 55-47.
 
The momentum of Hill's three point play sparked a 12-4 run for Valdosta State over the next three minutes, which gave VSU a fairly comfortable 15-point advantage at 66-51. Lynn battled to keep the contest respectable and closed VSU's lead to single digits in the closing minutes. The Fighting Knights were never able to overcome the deficit, however, as the Blazers used a series of timely buckets and free throws to hold the opposition at bay throughout the remainder of regulation.
 
Justice topped his career high for the second time this week with an impressive 31-point outing that included 10-of-14 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 shooting from the perimeter, and a perfect 8-of-8 performance from the free throw line. Young also posted a career high with 21 points, while Jeremiah Hill chipped in with 17 points and eight assists.
 
The Blazers took full advantage of their opportunities at the stripe and racked up 25 points on free throws alone. The team shot a sparkling 89.3 percent from the line (25-of-28) and used 17 assists and 15 steals to offset their 15 turnovers.
 
With the win, Valdosta State added to their strong start to improve to 4-0 on the season. Meanwhile, the Fighting Knights fell to 1-4 overall.
 
Blazer basketball returns to action on Sunday afternoon in West Palm Beach, Fla. against the hosting Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic. Tip time is slated for 4:00 p.m.