LAKELAND, Fla. – Behind three players scoring over 20 points each and battling back from a 16-point deficit in the first half, the No. 7 Valdosta State men's basketball team outscored Saint Leo 56-42 in the second half en route to a thrilling 96-92 victory Friday evening in the first game of the Terrace Hotel Classic at Florida Southern College.
 
The Blazers (6-1) were led by a season-high 27 points from senior Clay Guillozet as he was a season-best 13 of 19 from the field with five rebounds and five assists.  Senior big men Darrell Jones and Bryce Smith each had 20 points in the game, as Jones tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 14 rebounds.  He went a season-high 9 of 9 from the line, including key tosses down the stretch, along with four steals.  Smith was 8 of 15 from the field with a team-high three triples.  Sophomore Cam Hamilton added ten points on the bench.  
 
VSU shot an even 50 percent for the game, including 55.3 percent in the second half as the red and black was 36 of 72 from the field for the game, while going 9 of 26 from beyond the arc and was 15 of 17 from the line, including 10 of 12 in the second half. 
 
Saint Leo (5-2) was led by a blistering 39 points from Kyran McClure as he was just 6 of 9 from the field with two triples, but went an astonishing 25 of 27 from the line, along with six assists.  McClure paced four Lions in double figures as Wade Coomer added 14 points with four triples, Gintaras Bartaskas added 11 points off the bench and Isaiah Hill had ten points.  
 
The Lions shot 52.1 percent for the game, but were just 9 of 20 in the second half after opening the game 16 of 28 from the field in the first stanza.  SLU went 12 of 20 from beyond the arc, while going 30 of 37 from the line.  McClure accounted for all but ten of the free throw attempts for the Lions.  
 
With 14:05 left in the game, Saint Leo led 64-48, tying its largest lead of the game, but the never-give-up Blazers used another great comeback as they did on Monday at Union, battling back from a double-digit deficit in the second half.  This time, however, the game wouldn't get away from them.  
 
VSU used a 12-2 run over the next four minutes as the "and one" from Guillozet pulled VSU within 66-60 with 10:45 left.  Sophomore Imoras Agee hit a bucket for a 71-67 lead with 8:47 left and a triple from Hamilton pulled VSU within 71-70 with eight minutes left as the run amassed 22-6 since the 14-minute mark.
 
Guillozet hit a jumper in the paint for a 74-73 VSU lead with 6:50 left, marking the first lead for the Blazers since 8-6 early in the contest.  McClure answered a few moments later with three free throws to tie the game at 80 for the fourth tie of the game with 4:32 left.
 
Agee came up with a huge triple for an 83-80 score at the other end and Guilliozet put the Blazers up five at 85-80 with 3:50 left for the largest VSU lead of the game.  McClure had the answer, once again, with a triple for an 85-85 score with 3:02 left.  Two free throws from Saint Leo pulled the Lions within 87-86 with 2:03 left, but Hamilton hit a huge jumper for a 90-87 score with 1:12 left.
 
McClure hit two free throws with 15 seconds remaining for a 90-89 VSU lead.  Junior Burke Putnam converted two tosses with 11 second for a 92-89 score as VSU decided to foul.  McClure hit two more with nine seconds left for a one-point margin and Putnam answered, once again, with two more for a 94-91 score.  McClure made one of two and Jones buried two tosses for the final margin as he also collected the McClure missed toss with three seconds left.  
 
The first half saw the Lions roar out to a 16-point advantage as they drained nine triples in the first half, while shooting 57 percent.  VSU shot just 44.1 percent on 15 of 34, while going five of 16 from beyond the arc and 5 of 5 from the line.  McClure had 14 points in the half and was 9 of 10 from the line.  Jones, Guillozet and Smith all were in double figures for the Blazers in the opening half. 
 
VSU now will face host No. 24 Florida Southern Saturday at 7:30 p.m.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page for links to live stats and streaming of the game.  Florida Southern downed New Haven (Conn.) 84-56 Friday evening and is 5-1 on the year.  The Mocs are 5-1 this season.