VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team returns to the road this week as it travels to Montevallo and Auburn Montgomery for a pair of games.  The trip begins a stretch of four of the next five away from home.  
 
VSU will play at Montevallo on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, while facing Auburn Montgomery Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.  Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page.  The games also will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM with Spencer Van Horn having the call.  Check back with vstateblazers.com following the games for a complete recap and stats.  
 
The Blazers (14-4, 7-3 GSC) are coming off a split last week with a heartbreaking 87-86 loss at home to West Georgia and a 93-82 win over Shorter.  For the week, the Blazers shot a blistering .533 from the field on 65 of 122, while going 13 of 40 from beyond the arc (.325) and 36 of 49 from the line (.735).  VSU averaged 38.5 rebounds and allowed just 31.0, while scoring 89.5 points per game and allowing 84.5.  Uncharacteristically 28 turnovers proved costly as UWG converted 17 miscues into a 22-6 advantage in the loss on Thursday.  Senior Beau Justice paced the team averaging 16.5 points, while junior Bryce Smith averaged a double-double with 13.5 points and a team-high 10.5 rebounds per game in the two contests.  
 
Heading into the week, Delta State has a one-game lead in the league standings on VSU as the Statesmen are 8-2, while VSU is tied for second at 7-3 with West Alabama, Christian Brothers and Lee.  West Georgia sits a half game out of second at 6-3.  
 
The Blazers are tied for third in the South Region D2SIDA Poll this week with Morehouse.  Nova Southeastern leads the poll, followed by Lynn. Delta State sits sixth in the poll, while West Alabama is tied for eighth and Christian Brothers is tenth. The Blazers also are receiving votes in the D2SIDA Top 25 this week.
 
VSU, who had been ranked in the NABC Top 25 for much of the season, fell out of the top 25 this week after its second-straight week with a loss.  VSU is "26^th" as the top vote getter as others receiving votes in the latest NABC Top 25.  The Blazers have gone 4-2 in their last six games and had been ranked as high as No. 5 this season in the NABC poll.
 
Montevallo is 4-5 in conference play, 8-11 overall and has gone 2-3 in its last five, including a 63-47 win over Auburn Montgomery on Saturday.  The Falcons are averaging 66.3 points per game, allowing 65.6, while shooting at a .425 average from the field, .346 from beyond the arc and .661 from the line.  Montevallo is averaging 38.2 rebounds per game and allowing 30.6.  Micah Fuller leads three Falcons in double figures at 11.2 points per game.  He leads the team with 34 made 3-pointers.  Wade Lowman leads the team in rebounding at 7.0 per game and is second in scoring at 10.5 points per game.  
 
Auburn Montgomery is 6-11 overall and 2-7 in conference play and doesn't play on Thursday, prior to welcoming the Blazers on Saturday.  The Warhawks average 73.7 points per game and allow 78.6, while shooting .444 from the field, .354 from beyond the arc and .737 from the line.  AUM averages 34.2 rebounds per game and allows 35.5 per contest. Carlos Bell leads four AUM players in double figures averaging 15.6 points per game.  He is 82 of 194 from the field (.423) to lead the team.  Bell is 82 of 103 from the line (.796) to lead the team and is second in rebounding at 6.9 per game.  Stanley Davis has a team-high 28 made 3-pointers, while Aaron Reddick leads the team averaging 8.2 rebounds per game.
 
Nationally speaking for the Blazers, VSU is sixth nationally in scoring at 90.6 points per game to lead the GSC.  The Blazers are 14^thin scoring margin at 13.4 to lead the conference, while ranking 12^thin assist/turnover ratio at 1.6 and 13^thin assists per game at 18.1, both good for second in the league. The Blazers lead the GSC in offensive rebounds per game at 12.94 for 37^thnationally.  VSU is ninth nationally in total assists with 326, while leading the conference in total blocks with 63 for 67^thnationally, while ranking 27^thin turnover margin at 3.4 and 35^thnationally in turnovers per game at 11.3 for second in the league.
 
Individually, senior Winston Morgan is 14^thnationally in 3-point field goal attempts (141), while ranking 19^thin 3-point field goals per game (3.33) and 13^thin 3-point field goals made (60) for first in the GSC. Justice is second in the conference and 30^thnationally in scoring at 21.4 points per game, while he is fourth in the league in field goal percentage at a .493 clip.  He is 21^stin the country and first in the league in field goals made (137) and 20^thnationally in field goal attempts (278). His 385 points ranks 16^thnationally.  
 
The Blazers have four starters in double figures as junior Clay Guillozet is second on the team at 13.4 points per game.  He is 88 of 175 from the field (.503) with 27 triples and 39 of 52 from the line. Guillozet leads the team in rebounding at 6.1 per game and is third on the team in blocks with ten.  Morgan is third in scoring at 13.0 points per game and his 60 triples leads the team.  Junior Darrell Jones is fourth in scoring at 11.7 points per game, while senior Desmond DeRamus, who transferred this season to VSU from Auburn Montgomery, is fifth in scoring at 8.3 points per game and leads the team with 83 assists. 
 
Following the two games this weekend, the Blazers return home to host Montevallo on Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. at The Complex, before heading back on the road to open February at West Georgia and at Shorter.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for updates on all of VSU's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams.