ROME, Ga. – A dual offensive explosion, along with a tremendous defensive effort, led the Valdosta State men's basketball team to their second straight Gulf South Conference win, 93-76, over the Shorter Hawks in Rome, Ga. on Monday night.
 
The Blazers held Shorter to under 40 percent at 37.3 percent from the field in the contest to limit the Hawks' damage on the night. In addition, SU hit just 6-of-23 attempts from long range and were held to just one three ball in the second half.
 
In contrast, the Blazer offense lit up Winthrop-King Centre with an incredible shooting display that resulted in a 53.4 percent (31-of-58) effort from the field and a 51.9 percent (14-of-27) performance from beyond the arc. In addition, VSU hit 17-of-22 free throws for 77.3 percent to cap off the offensive onslaught.
 
Valdosta State's barrage was led by Damian Young, who found his stride early in the contest and proceeded to bury 12-of-18 attempts from the field and 5-of-6 from long range. As a result, Young produced a career-high 34 points to lead all scorers in the game. Jeremiah Hill complemented Young with 33 points of his own after connecting on 10 three-pointers. The long range exhibition by Hill nearly matched his record setting performance last season against West Alabama, when he buried 11 treys for a single-game record.
 
The Blazer defense held Phil Taylor, the nation's leading scorer, to just seven first half points to help set the tone of the game early, but the guard used 13 second-half free throws and six field goals to push to a 33-point total to lead the Hawks.
 
Despite Taylor's production in the game, Valdosta State picked up the win to improve to 10-3 overall and 5-2 against league opponents. Meanwhile, the Hawks dropped to 8-4 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
 
The Blazers shoot for their third straight on Thursday night, with the final game of the current road trip against the Wolves in Carrollton, Ga. Tip time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.