VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazers delivered one of their most impressive defensive efforts of the 2015-16 season on Thursday night at The Complex, holding Union well below their 76.7 points per game average en route to a 74-62 Gulf South Conference victory.
 
Union shot extremely well in the first half, connecting on 6-of-11 from beyond the arc for 54.5 percent. Off the bench, Roy Bullock played a big role in the Bulldog's long range shooting effort, as he connected on 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
 
The second half was a different story, however, as the Valdosta State defense locked down on Union and allowed just one successful three ball in eleven attempts. The Bulldogs did manage to shoot 44.8 percent from the field in the second half, but the Blazers held on to a fairly comfortable lead throughout the entirety of the second period thanks to a 56.5 shooting display.
 
Valdosta State jumped out to an early lead on a Chris Bilbo three pointer within the first minute of the contest, and the Blazers scored seven unanswered points before Bullock put the Bulldogs on the board with his first three of the night. The Blazers responded quickly with a Josh Lemons layup to put VSU up 9-3, but Union retaliated with eight straight points that included another long ball by Bullock, which gave Union an 11-9 advantage at the 14:22 mark. Union's only lead of the night was a brief one, as Chris Longoria fired back just nine seconds later with a triple to put VSU back in front 12-11. The Blazers never trailed again.
 
Justin Simon had another big night for Valdosta State with 23 points and six rebounds. Simon shot 8-of-13 from the field and added seven from the free throw line after missing just once from the stripe. Meanwhile, Blake Justice reached double digit scoring numbers for the fifth straight game with 13, and Jeremiah Hill chipped in with ten.
 
Valdosta State shot an impressive 56.0 percent (28-of-50) from the floor and hit 7-of-15 from beyond the arc for 46.7 percent. In addition, the Blazers posted their best free throw shooting night of the season, as they connected on 84.6 percent (11-of-13) of their free throw attempts in the game.
 
Hall of Fame weekend is up next for the Blazers, and the Valdosta State seniors will also be recognized before the Blazers next GSC matchup, which will take place on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. against the visiting Bucs of Christian Brothers.