ATHENS, Ga. – Blazer Nation got their first look at the 2017-18 men's basketball team during an exhibition against the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday night in Athens, Ga. In the newly renovated Stegeman Coliseum, the Bulldogs used a strong second half to notch a 117-74 win.
The contest got off to a slow offensive start for both teams, with neither team scoring until Yante Maten benefited from an offensive rebound and put it back to give the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead at the 18-minute mark. Both defenses remained dialed in throughout the next several minutes, and Labrian Shiflet's three pointer was the only other field goal for either team until UGA's William Jackson connected from long range at the 15:20 mark.
With a 6-3 lead five minutes into the contest, the Bulldogs picked up the pace on the attack, but the Blazers managed to stay within reach when Jimmy Kodet hit a three ball to spark a 10-4 run between the 8:00 and 5:00 mark on the clock. The run pulled the Blazers to within six at 28-34, but 12 unanswered points by Georgia toward the end of the first half, followed by a 13-2 run in the opening minutes of the second half, proved to be the beginning of the end for the red and black.
Despite the end result, Valdosta State showed promise in several key areas, particularly from newcomer Tyrone Sam, who scored 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field. In addition, preseason All-GSC selection Beau Justice scored 11 second-half points to pad a 14-point total in the game, while Winston Morgan and Labrian Shiflet each produced 11 point efforts.
For the Bulldogs, Maten was the top offensive performer with 24 points on the night. The senior, who will enter his final season already having scored 1,250 career points with UGA, shot 10-of-12 from the floor with four free throws and ten rebounds in the contest. Maten was one of five double-digit scorers on the night.
The Blazers now turn their attention to their first official game of the 2017-18 season, which will take place next weekend on Saturday, November 11 in Pensacola, Fla. against Fort Valley State. The regional matchup marks the first of a two-game weekend in the SIAC/GSC Crossover, hosted by the University of West Florida. Saturday's matchup against Fort Valley State is set to tip at 7:00 p.m. EST, with live coverage of the contest available via links located right here at www.vstateblazers.com.
