Men's Basketball 1/12/2018 6:56:00 PM

Men's Basketball Preview: Christian Brothers/Union

VALDOSTA STATE at CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
WHAT: Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball WHEN: Saturday, January 13th, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. EST WHERE: Memphis, Tenn. - Canale Arena Audio Link \| Video Link \| Stats Link \| Game Notes

VALDOSTA STATE at UNION
WHAT: Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball WHEN: Monday, January 15th, 2018 at 9:00 p.m. EST WHERE: Jackson, Tenn. - Fred Delay Gymnasium Audio Link \| Video Link \| Stats Link \| Game Notes

VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS 13-2, 6-1 GSC NEWS \| SCHEDULE \| STATISTICS \| ROSTER
POURING IT ON - Coach Mike Helfer's squad has been an offensive juggernaut thus far in their 2017-18 campaign. The Blazers are averaging 95.0 points per game. The average has Valdosta State ranked fourth in the country on the NCAA Division II scoring leaderboard, and the Blazers are averaging over 10 points more per game than the GSC's second best scoring team (West Georgia, 84.0 ppg) LEAGUE MOMENTUM - Following a loss to West Florida in early December, the Blazers turned the Gulf South Conference portion of their schedule in a positive direction, beginning with a 139-135 triple overtime win over Montevallo on December 16th. The point total set a new school mark for points scored in single game, which broke the previous mark of 136 scored by the Blazers in a loss to Troy State during the 1991-92 season. Valdosta State ended the 2017 calendar year with yet another home victory over West Alabama on December 18th and carried the momentum into the 2018 calendar year, where VSU has ripped off four straight conference wins. The Blazers are in the midst of a six game winning streak. FROM DOWNTOWN - Junior transfer Winston Morgan has been incredible from beyond the arc this season. On Tuesday against Mississippi College, the junior connected on a season high nine three pointers for a season high 27 points. The guard has connected on 56 of 114 attempts and currently ranks 9th in the nation with a 49.1 percent shooting effort from behind the arc. Furthermore, Morgan ranks 6th in the nation in three point field goals made per game with an average of 3.73, and he is tied for 7th in the country in total three pointers made with 56. JUSTICE SERVED - Junior guard Beau Justice earned his second career Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honor last week, following a 29-point performance in in the Blazers' overtime road win over Lee. Only four players in the Gulf South Conference rank higher than Justice and his average of 19.3 points per game. A key factor in Justice's offensive production is his efficiency at the free throw line. He has missed just six of the 81 free throws he has taken this season, and his 92.6 percentage at the stripe places him 9th in the nation.

VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS

13-2, 6-1 GSC
NEWS | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS | ROSTER

POURING IT ON - Coach Mike Helfer's squad has been an offensive juggernaut thus far in their 2017-18 campaign. The Blazers are averaging 95.0 points per game. The average has Valdosta State ranked fourth in the country on the NCAA Division II scoring leaderboard, and the Blazers are averaging over 10 points more per game than the GSC's second best scoring team (West Georgia, 84.0 ppg)
LEAGUE MOMENTUM - Following a loss to West Florida in early December, the Blazers turned the Gulf South Conference portion of their schedule in a positive direction, beginning with a 139-135 triple overtime win over Montevallo on December 16th. The point total set a new school mark for points scored in single game, which broke the previous mark of 136 scored by the Blazers in a loss to Troy State during the 1991-92 season. Valdosta State ended the 2017 calendar year with yet another home victory over West Alabama on December 18th and carried the momentum into the 2018 calendar year, where VSU has ripped off four straight conference wins. The Blazers are in the midst of a six game winning streak.
FROM DOWNTOWN - Junior transfer Winston Morgan has been incredible from beyond the arc this season. On Tuesday against Mississippi College, the junior connected on a season high nine three pointers for a season high 27 points. The guard has connected on 56 of 114 attempts and currently ranks 9th in the nation with a 49.1 percent shooting effort from behind the arc. Furthermore, Morgan ranks 6th in the nation in three point field goals made per game with an average of 3.73, and he is tied for 7th in the country in total three pointers made with 56.
JUSTICE SERVED - Junior guard Beau Justice earned his second career Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honor last week, following a 29-point performance in in the Blazers' overtime road win over Lee. Only four players in the Gulf South Conference rank higher than Justice and his average of 19.3 points per game. A key factor in Justice's offensive production is his efficiency at the free throw line. He has missed just six of the 81 free throws he has taken this season, and his 92.6 percentage at the stripe places him 9th in the nation.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS BUCS 13-2, 5-2 GSC NEWS \| SCHEDULE \| STATISTICS \| ROSTER
SERIES HISTORY - Saturday's contest will mark the 16th all-time between the Blazers and the Bucs. The series stands evened up at 8-8 all-time, with last season's two-game split serving as a microcosm of the all-time record between the two teams. Valdosta State has won four of the last five contests between the two teams. BACK TO REALITY - The No. 18 ranked Bucs reeled off an incredible 11 consecutive wins to start the 2017-18 season. Since the holiday break, however, CBU has split a four-game stint, pairing wins against UWG and UNA with losses to Auburn Montgomery and Alabama-Huntsville. Prior to loss to AUM, the Bucs rose all the way to No. 5 on the NBCA National DII Poll. DOUBLE TROUBLE - Christian Brothers, who was picked to finish first in the Gulf South Conference in a preseason poll voted on by coaches throughout the league, have enjoyed the contributions of two All-GSC starters in the form of Jeff Larkin and Adam Dieball. Both rank among the league's top ten scorers, with respective 20.0 and 16.6 points per game averages. Additionally, sophomore guard Joe Laravie isn't far behind with 15.7 points per game so far on the season.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS BUCS

13-2, 5-2 GSC
NEWS | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS | ROSTER

SERIES HISTORY - Saturday's contest will mark the 16th all-time between the Blazers and the Bucs. The series stands evened up at 8-8 all-time, with last season's two-game split serving as a microcosm of the all-time record between the two teams. Valdosta State has won four of the last five contests between the two teams.
BACK TO REALITY - The No. 18 ranked Bucs reeled off an incredible 11 consecutive wins to start the 2017-18 season. Since the holiday break, however, CBU has split a four-game stint, pairing wins against UWG and UNA with losses to Auburn Montgomery and Alabama-Huntsville. Prior to loss to AUM, the Bucs rose all the way to No. 5 on the NBCA National DII Poll.
DOUBLE TROUBLE - Christian Brothers, who was picked to finish first in the Gulf South Conference in a preseason poll voted on by coaches throughout the league, have enjoyed the contributions of two All-GSC starters in the form of Jeff Larkin and Adam Dieball. Both rank among the league's top ten scorers, with respective 20.0 and 16.6 points per game averages. Additionally, sophomore guard Joe Laravie isn't far behind with 15.7 points per game so far on the season.

UNION BULLDOGS 8-7, 2-5 GSC NEWS \| SCHEDULE \| STATISTICS \| ROSTER
SERIES HISTORY - Valdosta State holds a 6-5 all-time series lead over the Bulldogs. The Blazers defeated the Bulldogs in both matchups last year in a pair of convincing wins. MAKING A NAME - Freshman Tevin Florent was named the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week for the week ending January 7, 2018. This is Florent's second freshman of the week honor and fourth for Union this year (Boykin twice). Florent, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Kissimmee, Fla., scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the week. He added five assists and a block. He scored eight points with seven rebounds in a win over AUM. He added six points and four rebounds in Union's narrow road loss at North Alabama. He averages 8.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on the season.

UNION BULLDOGS

8-7, 2-5 GSC
NEWS | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS | ROSTER

SERIES HISTORY - Valdosta State holds a 6-5 all-time series lead over the Bulldogs. The Blazers defeated the Bulldogs in both matchups last year in a pair of convincing wins.
MAKING A NAME - Freshman Tevin Florent was named the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week for the week ending January 7, 2018. This is Florent's second freshman of the week honor and fourth for Union this year (Boykin twice). Florent, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Kissimmee, Fla., scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the week. He added five assists and a block. He scored eight points with seven rebounds in a win over AUM. He added six points and four rebounds in Union's narrow road loss at North Alabama. He averages 8.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on the season.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Beau Justice: G; 6' 2"; Junior

#3 Winston Morgan: G; 6' 0"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#12 Beau Justice
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G

#3 Winston Morgan
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

Players Mentioned

#12 Beau Justice

#3 Winston Morgan

Players Mentioned

#12 Beau Justice

#3 Winston Morgan