CLINTON, Miss. – Close game losses have plagued the Valdosta State men's basketball team in 2015-16, but the Blazers flipped the script on Thursday night in Clinton, Miss. with some clutch shooting down the stretch and a late comeback that allowed VSU to claim a thrilling 80-77 Gulf South Conference road win at A.E. Wood Coliseum.
 
The Blazers trailed for over 35 of the 40 minutes played in the contest, but Head Coach Mike Helfer's squad took control when it mattered most by pulling down four consecutive offensive rebounds during a single possession before Chris Bilbo kicked it out to a wide open Blake Justice for the deciding three pointer with under one minute to play.
 
Valdosta State went behind early in the contest, thanks to the sharpshooting Jonathan McGee, who hit three shots from long range in the first five minutes of the game. Trailing 18-10 at the 13:16 mark in the first half, the Blazers pushed the ball inside to Saadiq Muhammad, who finished on a layup from the right side to start a 16-7 run over the course of the next five minutes. The offensive surge was capped off by a Justice three ball and put VSU in front 26-25, but the lead was short lived, as Antonio Johnson fired right back with a three of his own.
 
MC retained that lead until the 17:25 mark of the second half, when Jeremiah Hill connected from the corner to put the Blazers back in front by one at 41-40 and added a layup on VSU's ensuing possession to give the red and black a three point lead.
 
The two teams traded leads two more times over the next two minutes before McGee scored on back-to-back possessions and gave the Choctaws a lead that would hold until VSU's final push. Chris Longoria put the game back in Valdosta State's favor at 75-73 with a clutch three from the right wing, but McGee tied the game back up at 75-75 on a layup from the right side. Tristan Moore added a pair of free throws at the 1:36 mark, which set the stage for Justice's aforementioned clutch three ball.
 
Mississippi College's Stacey Mack got a good look from close range at a potential game winner within the final 10 seconds, but his shot went long, and Hill, who made his return on Thursday after being sidelined for several weeks due to injury, was there for the defensive rebound.
 
Perhaps the biggest boost of the night for VSU came on the glass, as the Blazers outrebounded the Choctaws 46 to 33. Justin Simon delivered another double-double with a team high 20 points and 14 rebounds, and his efforts led to 21 offensive boards and 19 put back points for the Blazer offense.

McGee posted his second best point total of the 2015-16 season with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and a 5-of-11 display from long range.
 
The Blazers continue their arduous road trip this weekend with a Cleveland, Miss. showdown on Saturday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. against the Statesmen of Delta State.