VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazers overcame a slow start on offense with a gutsy comeback effort that led to an 89-75 overtime Gulf South Conference win over the visiting Union Bulldogs in Valdosta, Ga. on Thursday night.
 
It seemed as if Union could do no wrong in the first half, particularly from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs connected eight times on 17 attempts for a 47.1 shooting percentage from long range. The sharpshooting effort included two first-half threes by Alex Keel, the second of which gave Union a 30-10 lead at the 7:41 mark in the first half.
 
Valdosta State used a spark of the bench in the final minutes of the opening period in the form of Jimmy Kodet. The junior forward ended the Blazers' drought from three-point range with a pair of long distance shots during a one-minute span between the third and second minute mark. The two shots helped the Blazers to a 17-9 run during the final seven minutes of the half and pulled VSU to within 12 at 39-27 at intermission.
 
Damian Young buried three quick buckets during the first three minutes of the second half, and Jeremiah Hill added five points in the next two minutes to help pull Valdosta State to within six at 43-37. Fueled by a lively crowd, Beau Justice then caught fire and scored 10 points on three treys and a free throw within a three-minute window.
 
"The great thing for me, is to see the student involvement at the games this year," said Head Coach Mike Helfer. "They are not only coming to the games, but they are making noise and staying involved. It's a great time to be at VSU with all of this student support."
 
That crowd support became a huge factor late in the contest, when Blazer forward Justin Simon hit a close range shot in the final minute of regulation to tie the contest up at 74-74. Ashanti Day was fouled on a rebound attempt in the closing seconds, which afforded the Union standout a chance to give the Bulldogs a late lead from the free throw line with just seconds to spare. The 1,114 in attendance came to life prior to his free throw attempt, however, and produced a deafening roar to help influence a misfire by Day and force overtime.
 
The extra frame was all VSU would need, as the Blazers went on to outscore the Bulldogs 15-1 during overtime, which led to the large spread at the final buzzer.
 
"Union is a great team," added Helfer. "They are big and strong, and they shoot it extremely well, which makes them difficult to guard. Tonight was a game that brought out our guys' heart and desire. We were struggling so much and had to dig deep. It was one of the best comeback wins of my coaching career."
 
Hill finished with 30 points in the game, which upped the senior's career point total up to 914 points. He hit 9-of-20 from the field, with 11 free throws, four assists, and two steals. Justice contributed with four second-half threes and 19 points in the game, and Saadiq Muhammad finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. Muhammad's rebounding effort helped VSU outrebound the Bulldogs 48-36.
 
Valdosta State has now clinched a position in the 2017 GSC Tournament, and the team has improved to 14-3 in Gulf South Conference play, 19-4 overall. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs fell to 13-10 overall and 8-9 in league play.
 
The Blazers return to action with a huge conference showdown against fourth-ranked Christian Brothers at Pink Out day on Saturday at The Complex. Tip time is slated for 4:00 p.m.