VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind four starters in double figures and a game-high 24 points from junior Burke Putnam and 22 points from senior Bryce Smith, the No. 8 Valdosta State men's basketball team posted a 96-73 victory over Montevallo in the 2020 Gulf South Conference Quarterfinal at The Complex.
 
The Blazers won their 18^th-straight game tying the school-record for consecutive wins in a single season set during the 2017-18 season.  VSU improved to 25-3 on the year, surpassing last season's win total (24-7).  The Blazers advance to the GSC semifinal on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala., to face No. 4-seed West Alabama.  The winner will advance to the GSC Championship set for Sunday, Mar. 8, at 4:30 p.m. ET.  
 
VSU shot a blistering 55.6 percent for the game in potentially the final home game of the season on 35 of 63, while draining 10 triples and went 16 of 24 from the line.  Along with Putnam and Smith, senior Clay Guillozet, who earned GSC Player of the Year honors earlier in the day, chipped in 15 points on 6 of 10 from the field with two triples and six assists.  Senior Darrell Jones, who earned first team all-conference honors Tuesday, added 10 points and six rebounds.  Head coach Mike Helfer also earned Coach of the Year honors Tuesday for the fourth time at the helm of the Blazers.
 
Montevallo finished its season with a 12-17 record and was led by 20 points from Wade Lowman and 11 rebounds.  He was 7 of 14 from the field and 6 of 8 from the line.  Cedric Jackson added 19 points on 8 of 14 from the field, while going 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.  Xavier Malcom added 13 points and Jonas Parker chipped in 11.  The Falcon bench scored a combined three points.  UM shot 41.9 percent for the game on 26 of 62, while going 8 of 22 from range and 13 of 18 from the line.
 
The Falcons came out with the early lead and led by as many as seven through the first three minutes of the game.  Putnam drained a triple to tie the game at 13 with 13:24 left in the first half as his trey began an 11-0 run for a 21-13 lead with 10:13 left.  
 
A triple from Malcom pulled UM within 23-21 with 8:17 left in the half, but a 7-0 run pushed the lead to nine at 30-21 on rebound and layup from Guillozet.  He later hit a triple for a 36-24 lead for the first double-digit advantage of the game.  Prior to Guillozet's triple, Smith earned the old fashion three-point play as VSU closed the half on a 15-5 run for a 45-29 lead at intermission.  
 
Early in the second half, sophomore Imoras Agee buried a trey for a 53-33 lead and the largest of the game to that point.  Putnam stretched the lead to 22 on a triple for a 67-45 lead with 13:45 left, but the Falcons had run, pulling within 70-57 with 11:08 left on a trey from Malcom.  
 
The Blazers responded as Putnam scored in the paint at the other end, starting a 13-4 run capped with a triple from him for an 83-61 lead with 7:13 left.  Montevallo got the deficit under 20 points one time as junior DeMarcus Addie hit a late trey for the 96-73 final score. 
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page under the West Alabama game.  Look for the GSC Championship Central link.  The Saturday will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM with Mike Chason having the call.