ALBANY, Ga. – The No. 12-ranked Valdosta State men's basketball team improved to 4-0 on the young season with a gritty 64-58 victory at Albany State on Thursday evening.
Despite shooting just 36.8 percent for the game, VSU made enough stops for the victory in a strong defensive performance by both teams. VSU had three players in double figures led by 16 points from senior
Darrell Jones on 7 of 11 from the field with a triple and seven
rebounds. Senior
Bryce Smith added 15 points on 5 of 11 from the field with four big triples and six rebounds. Senior
Clay Guillozet added 10 points and seven rebounds with five assists.
VSU led by as many as 18 in the second half, as the Blazers opened the final stanza with a 17-8 run capped with a triple from Jones for a 52-34 lead with 13:29 left in the contest.
The Golden Rams (1-2) responded with a 14-0 run to pull within 52-48 with 8:37 remaining, but the Blazers dug deep pushing the lead back to double digits with triples from Smith and Guillozet for a 62-51 lead with 5:15 left.
ASU wouldn't go quietly, however, as Titus Burns hit a trey with 3:02 left for a 62-56 score as the teams went ice cold down the stretch. VSU senior
Tyler Edwards made one of two free throws, as did Jones in the final minute for the six-point margin.
The Golden Rams were led by 11 points and 12 rebounds from Randy McClure who was 4 of 8 from the field with four assists and three steals. Kamil Brown added 11 points, while Napoleon Harris had ten rebounds.
VSU used an 11-2 run for an 18-8 lead on back-to-back three's from Smith with 12:05 left in the first half, but the Golden Rams quickly cut the deficit to four with a run of their own at 18-14 capped on a triple from Jamarcis Nunally. VSU pushed the lead back to double-digits, once again, as Smith was on fire from deep for a try and a 25-14 lead with 10:48 left.
Later in the half, ASU pulled to within three on a jumper from McClure with 4:04 left at 27-24, but the Blazers closed the frame on an 8-2 run for a 35-26 lead at intermission. VSU shot 40.5 percent for the half on 15 of 37 from the field, while going 4 of 12 from range. ASU was 10 of 26 from the field, also with four triples.
The Blazers have eight days off before they open the 2019-20 Gulf South Conference slate at Christian Brothers on Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. ET in Memphis, Tenn.
