VALDOSTA, Ga. – Looking for revenge after a disappointing 67-65 loss at Montevallo a week ago, VSU returns home to host the Falcons this Thursday at 8 p.m. at The Complex.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more on vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page.  The game also will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ with Mike Chason and Spencer Van Horn have the call of the game.  
 
Following Thursday's game, VSU will be idle on Saturday and then will return to action on the road at West Georgia and at Shorter, Feb. 7-9.  The Blazers then will host Mississippi College and Delta State on Feb. 14-16, before road games at West Florida and West Alabama (Feb. 21-23) and will close the regular season at home on Feb. 28 against Auburn Montgomery.
 
The Blazers are 15-5 overall and 8-4 in the Gulf South Conference.  VSU is tied for third in the league standings with Christian Brothers and Lee, while Alabama Huntsville and West Georgia sit a half game back at 7-4 for tied for sixth in the standings.  West Alabama, who has won a league-best five straight games, and Delta State are tied for the league-lead each at 9-3. 
 
In the first matchup with Montevallo, the Blazers trailed by as many as eight and battled back from a 61-57 deficit with 3:28 left for a 65-64 lead with 52 seconds left. However, VSU was unable to hang onto the lead as the Falcons hit three of four free throws in the final 52 seconds, while VSU missed a triple and a free throw during the span, along with a turnover.  
 
VSU senior Beau Justice scored a game-high 17 points as he was 7 of 15 from the field with two triples and 1 of 2 from the line.  Three Blazers scored in double figures, but second chance points by the Falcons proved costly as UM held a 17-8 lead in second chance points, despite both teams recording 12 offensive rebounds.  Montevallo had three players in double figures led by 15 points each from Came Copeland and Carl Johnson.  
 
The Blazers have lost a total of five games this season by a combined 12 points, including three games by two points or less and none greater than five points.
 
Montevallo enters with a 5-6 record in conference play and a 9-12 mark overall.  UM is coming off a 70-65 overtime loss at West Alabama on Saturday.  UM rallied in the final minutes of regulation using a 7-2 run to force overtime, but UWA used an 8-1 run in the extra session and held the Falcons without a field goal over the final 3:29 of overtime for the win.
 
For the season, Montevallo is averaging 66.3 points per game, while allowing 65.8.  UM is shooting .425 from the field on 498 of 1173, while the opposition is 488 of 1136 (.430) from the field.  UM has knocked down 126 triples for a .346 clip, while the opposition has made 165 triples for a .340 clip.  UM has made 270 of 410 free throws (.659), while averaging 38 rebounds per game and allowing 30.9 per contest, for a +7.1 average.  
 
Individually, Micah Fuller leads the team averaging 10.7 points per game.  He is 72 of 159 (.453) from the field, while leading the team with 35 triples in 88 attempts (.398).  Fuller's 72 made field goals ranks third on the team.  De'Marco Owens is second in scoring at 10.5 points per game. Owens leads the team with 85 made field goals in 162 attempts for a .525 average, while going a team-best 51 of 63 (.810) from the line.  He, along with Wade Lowman, lead the team averaging 6.8 rebounds per game.  Lowman is third in scoring at 9.8 per contest.
 
The last time these two teams played in Titletown, VSU won a 139-135, triple overtime thriller on Dec. 16, 2017.  VSU had seven players in double figures in the game led by 24 points each from Justice and now-senior Winston Morgan.  UM had 40 points from Jamaar Taylor and 36 from Chris Williams leading five Falcons in double figures as Williams had a game-high 11 rebounds and went 17 of 19 from the line.  Both Taylor and Williams are no longer on the team.  VSU drained 20 triples out of 46 field goals for the game, while UM connected on 17 triples.  The 139 points by VSU marked a new school-record, surpassing the previous record of 136 set against Troy in 1991-92.
 
Nationally speaking, the Falcons are 21^stnationally in scoring defense, allowing just 65.8 points per game, while the 7.1 rebounding margin ranks 21^stnationally and first in the GSC.  The Falcons are 52ns nationally and second to VSU in the GSC in offensive rebounds per game (12.57), while UM is 18^thnationally and first in the conference in total rebounds with 798 and rank second in the conference in rebounds per game at 38.0.  Lowman is second in the league in blocked shots per game at 1.15, while leading the league in offensive rebounds per game at 3.75 for 12^thnationally. He is second in the league in total blocks with 23, while Copeland is third in the league in steals per game (1.90) and second in total steals with 40 for 34^thnationally.  
 
The Blazers are shooting at a .493 clip for the season on 656 of 1331, while the opposition is shooting at a .466 average on 582 of 1250.  VSU is 199 of 519 (.383) from beyond the arc, while the opposition has drained 141 triples for a .357 average.  The Blazers ae 298 of 397 from the line (.751), while are averaging 38.3 rebounds per game and allowing 34.6 per contest.  VSU is averaging 90.4 points per game and allowing 77.3 per contest.
 
Individually, Justice leads the team averaging 21.7 points per game.  He is 153 of 390 from the field (.495), while going 52 of 125 (.416) from beyond the arc for second on the team and he is a team-best 75 of 88 from the line (.852). Justice is second on the team in assists (71) and third in steals with 21.  Junior Clay Guillozet is second in scoring at 13.0 points per game as he is third on the team in made triples (28) and second in made free throws (43-59).  Morgan is third in scoring at 12.8 points per game as he leads the team in triples made with 66 for a .426 average.  Morgan is third in field goals made with 82. Junior Darrell Jones is fourth in scoring at 11.5 points per game and leads the team averaging 5.9 rebounds per game.
 
VSU is 12^thnationally in assist/turnover ratio at a 1.6 average, while ranking 13^thnationally in assists per game at 17.9.  The Blazers are 31^stin turnover margin at 3.4, while ranking 33^rdin turnovers per game at 11.2.  VSU's .493 field goal percentage ranks 24^thnationally and second in the conference, while the Blazers lead the league in free throws made (298) and are third in free throw attempts (397) and lead the league in free throw percentage at .751.  The Blazers lead the conference in offensive rebounds per game at 13.3 for 29^thnationally, while ranking 16^thnationally in scoring margin (13.1) and sixth nationally in scoring offense at 90.5 points per game.  VSU is eighth nationally in total assists (358) and leads the conference in blocks with 70, while ranking 36^thnationally in total rebounds (767).  VSU's 38.4 rebounding average is first in the conference.  
 
Individually, Morgan is 19^thnationally in 3-point field goal attempts (155) and is 19^thin 3-point field goals per game (3.3) to lead the conference.  He is 14^thin total made 3-pointers (66) for first in the league and he is second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at a .426 clip for 52^ndnationally.  Justice is second in the conference in free throw percentage (.852) and third in free throws made (75), while he is 22^ndnationally and second in the league in scoring at 21.7 points per game.  His 433 points are good for 15^thnationally and second in the league.  Justice is 16^thnationally in field goals made (153) and 20^thin field goals attempted (309).