VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 8-ranked and top-seeded Valdosta State men's basketball team heads to the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University for the 2020 Gulf South Conference semifinal matchup with No. 4-seed West Alabama Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page. Mike Chason will have the call on 92.1 WDDQ FM.
 
Tickets for the semifinals and championships are $12, student tickets and admission for ages 6-17 are $5 and children 5 and under will be admitted free. 
 
The semifinals and finals also will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.  Don Russell and former University of Louisville head women's basketball coach Sara White will be on the call for each game.  See the information below on how to get ESPN3 and the ESPN App.
 
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on ESPN.com and the ESPN App across computers, smartphones, tablets and connected streaming devices. The network is available at no additional cost to fans who receive pay TV subscription from an affiliated provider. The network is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
 
VSU (25-3) is coming off a 96-73 thumping of No. 8-seed Montevallo on Tuesday evening at The Complex.  In that game, VSU shot a blistering 55.6 percent on 35 of 63 from the floor, while the Blazers drained ten treys and went 16 of 24 from the line.  Junior Burke Putnam had a game-high 24 points, while senior Bryce Smith chipped in 22 points.  VSU was dominant on both ends of the floor, holding Montevallo to 41.9 percent shooting on 26 of 62, including just 10 of 29 from the field in the first half for the Falcons.  VSU forced UM into 18 turnovers in the game.
 
The Blazers and the Tigers are battling for the third time this season and the second since Feb. 22.  VSU won both regular season meetings with the Tigers this season, but neither were easy.  VSU downed West Alabama on Senior Day in the second meeting of the season as UWA led at intermission, 31-28, marking the first time the Blazers had trailed at halftime since Nov. 30, 2019.  
 
UWA led for much of the early part of the second half, but the Blazers erased a four-point deficit with a 5-0 run for a 57-56 lead with 5:39 left on a layup from Putnam.  Later, senior Darrell Jones began a 12-0 run for a 69-59 lead with 1:39 left and he added two late free throws as he was outstanding down the stretch in the game. 
 
In the first meeting, VSU won 69-59 on Jan. 4, 2020.  In that game, senior Clay Guillozet went over 1,000 career points in three seasons at VSU and 500 career rebounds for the Blazers.  He became the 24^th Blazer to achieve 1,000 career points.  VSU led by two at halftime and then outscored the Tigers 37-29 in the second half.  The Blazers held UWA to 36.2 percent shooting for the game on 21 of 58, while UWA went 3 of 17 from range.  The Blazers shot 47.9 percent on 23 of 48, while going 4 of 16 from range and 19 of 30 from the line. 
 
For the season series, VSU shot .472 from the field against the Tigers on 51 of 108, while going just 5 of 28 from beyond the arc and 37 of 54 from the line for a .685 clip.  VSU held a slim 71-70 lead in rebounding, while the Blazers averaged 72.0 points per game and allowed 63.0 per contest.  Jones led the team in the two games averaging 16.0 points and went 12 of 22 from the field (.545) and 7 of 8 from the line.  Senior Clay Guillozet averaged 13.0 points per game and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game against UWA.  
 
If the Blazers were to get past West Alabama on Saturday, they would play the winner of Alabama Huntsville versus Lee on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET in the GSC Championship Game.  VSU went 1-0 against UAH (84-62) this season and lost to Lee on Dec. 17, 2019, in The Complex, 88-74, marking the last loss to this point for VSU.
 
Heading into the conference tournament, VSU moved up to No. 2 in the final public NCAA South Region ranking, which was released Wednesday.  Florida Southern still leads the ranking and most likely if things hold to form this weekend, earn the hosting duties for the NCAA South Regional, scheduled for Mar. 14-17.  VSU flipped with Nova Southeastern this week, while the rest of the poll remained the same from last week.  Lee sits fourth, followed by Palm Beach Atlantic, West Alabama, Embry-Riddle, Alabama Huntsville, Barry and Miles College.  Each of the three conference tournament winners in the Gulf South, Sunshine State Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) will earn an automatic bid to the regional.  
 
Miles College is the only team in the rankings this week at tenth from the SIAC, and would bump a team currently in the rankings if it wins the SIAC Championship or if another SIAC team wins the title.  Miles and Albany State have qualified for the semifinals Friday.  The four teams in the region rankings from both the GSC and SSC conference are the ones in each league's respective semifinals. 
 
VSU improved to 20-24 all-time in the GSC Championship with its win over Montevallo on Tuesday.  This marks the 12^th time VSU has reached the semifinals of the conference tournament and the fourth-straight year.  VSU has reached the finals five times (0-5), with the most recent being in 2017, in a 94-91 loss to Alabama Huntsville.  VSU is 1-1 all-time in the conference tournament against West Alabama with a 64-62 loss in 1997 at West Georgia in the first round and an 84-71 win in 2014 in the quarterfinal in Birmingham.  The 20 wins by the Blazers is third-most among current GSC members, behind Delta State (34) and Alabama Huntsville (22), while VSU is tied with former member North Alabama for third all-time in the history of the GSC.  VSU and Lee have never met in the GSC Championship as the Flames are 0-2 since joining the league.  VSU is 1-1 against UAH in the conference tournament with a 76-68 win in the semifinals in 2013 and the loss in the championship in 2017. UAH is 22-15 all-time in the league tournament, reaching its 11^th semifinals, while qualifying for the finals seven times with three championships. 
 
With the win over Montevallo on Tuesday, VSU won its 18^th-straight game, matching the school-record winning streak for one season set during the 2017-18 season.  VSU's longest winning streak is 20 games, which came over the span of two seasons, beginning in the 1960-61 season and carried over to the 1961-62 campaign.  The Blazers' 18-game winning streak currently is sixth-longest in NCAA Division II.  Lincoln Memorial has won 30-straight games (30-1), while four teams (West Texas A&M, UC San Diego, Northwest Missouri State and Azusa Pacific) each have won 20-straight. 
 
The Blazers are looking for their 12^th appearance in the NCAA postseason and fourth-straight berth.  VSU is 8-11 all-time in the NCAA Championship and qualified for the Elite Eight in 2010, losing to Indiana (Pa.) in the national quarterfinal round.  VSU has qualified for the NCAA postseason six times under head coach Mike Helfer, including the run in 2010.  
 
Earlier this week the Gulf South Conference all-league teams were announced and VSU was well represented.  Guillozet was named GSC Player of the Year, becoming the third Blazer to earn the prestigious honor in the last four years, while Helfer was named Coach of the Year for the fourth time.  Guillozet is the fifth Blazer in program history to be named Player of the Year, joining the likes of Jeremiah Hill (2016-17), Beau Justice (2017-18), Shun Stargell (East Division, 1994-95) and Tyrone Curnell (East Division, 2009-2010). 
 
Guillozet, a native of Greenville, Ohio, has started all 28 games for the Blazers this season with seven double-doubles and nine games of double-digit rebounds. He is fourth in the GSC in field goal percentage at a 52.8 clip on 171 of 324 to lead the team, while his 171 field goals are good for second in the league.  Guillozet leading the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game for fifth in the league.  He is third in the conference in rebounding at 8.5 per game for 58^th nationally, while he is third in the league in defensive rebounds (5.68) and leads the league in offensive rebounds at 2.79 for 64^th nationally.
 
Jones also earned first team all-conference honors this season as he is second in scoring on the team at 15.1 points per game.  Jones is fifth in the league in field goal percentage at a 51.4 clip (150 of 292), while he is a team-best 91 of 113 from the line (.805).  Jones is fourth in the league and second on the team in rebounding at 7.4 per game.  His one of two players from the GSC (three nationally) who recorded a triple-double this season.  Jones' triple-double came against Brewton-Parker and was the first for the Blazers since 2012. 
 
Also earning first team honors were LaJuan Hardy of West Alabama, Tyree Boykin of Union and Ryan Montgomery of Lee.  Second team honorees were Jon Brown of West Florida, Seth Brown-Carter of West Georgia, Ricky Dunnaway of West Alabama, JJ Kaplan of Alabama Huntsville and Wade Lowman of Montevallo.  Delta State's Maalik Cartwright was named Freshman of the Year.  Among the remaining teams in the championship, six players all-league players (3 first team, 3 second team) will be featured this weekend in Birmingham.
 
Nationally speaking, the Blazers are 12^th nationally and first in the league in scoring offense at 89.6 points per game, while outscoring teams by a 14.6 margin for 11^th nationally.  VSU is 14^th nationally and first in the GSC in rebounds per game at 40.89.  VSU is 24^th in total rebounds (1,145) to lead the league and is 44^th in offensive rebounds per game (12.21), while it is 14^th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (28.68) with both leading the GSC.  VSU has committed the fewest turnovers in the league (322) for 43^rd nationally, while it is 13^thnationally in turnover margin (4.1) and 37^th nationally in turnovers forced (15.96).  VSU is second in the league in total blocks (111) for 40^thnationally and third in the GSC in total assists (458) for 36^th nationally, while the Blazers lead the league in total steals with 233 for 44^thnationally.  
 
VSU won its fourth-straight Gulf South Conference regular season title with an 18-2 mark this season by two games over Lee.  Helfer won his 300^th game at VSU in an 80-66 win at West Florida the final week of the regular season.  He is the second winningest coach in VSU history behind James Dominey (1971-2000) who finished with a record of 436-243.  Helfer is 302-140 in his 15^th season at VSU, while he is 489-223 overall in 23 years of coaching. 
 
West Alabama enters with a 22-7 record overall and went 14-6 in league play this season.  UWA downed No. 5-seed Union 82-79 on a trey from the top of the arc by Justin Allison on Tuesday to send the Tigers to the semifinals.  UWA held a 39-27 lead at halftime, but Union roared back in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 52-43.  Hardy finished the game with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals.  Dunnaway added 17 points and seven rebounds.  
 
The Tigers are led by Hardy who is averaging 15.2 points per game on 154 of 377 from the floor, while he is 67 of 166 from beyond the arc and 67 of 92 from the line (.728).  Hardy is third on the team in rebounding at 5.8 per game, while leading the team with 155 assists and 69 steals.  Dunnaway is second in scoring at 13.2 points per game, while he is a team-best 159 of 293 from the field (.543) and 63 of 81 from the line (.778).  Dunnaway is second in rebounding at 6.8 per game, while Mike Davis leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game.  Darron Johnson is third in scoring at 12.2 points per game.  He leads the team in made 3s with 77 on 77 of 194 (.397).  
 
As a team, the Tigers are shooting .468 from the field on 765 of 1634, while going 232 of 604 from beyond the arc (.384), for first in the league, and 361 of 487 from the line (.741).  UWA is averaging 73.2 points per game and allowing 60.1 per contest for second nationally in scoring defense.  The Tigers are averaging 36.2 rebounds per game and allowing just 29.9 rebounds per game.  UWA is holding teams to a .403 clip from the field for seventh nationally.  UWA is second to VSU in the league in scoring margin at 13.1 for 14^th nationally.