FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The No. 10-ranked Valdosta State men's basketball team shot 41.1% from the field, and seven Blazers were in double figures, but dropped a 112-106 decision to Clark Atlanta in the season-opener for both teams.
The Blazers ended the first half neck-and-neck, leading 51-50. Redshirt junior Cam Hamilton finished the half with 20 points, going seven of 15 from the field and sinking two three-pointers, while junior Maurice Gordon and freshman Ricky Brown each recorded 10 points in the half.
The second half saw the Blazers continue to stay locked in with Clark Atlanta until the Panthers began to pull away with two minutes courtesy of a three-pointer from CAU's Christopher Martin. With five seconds left on the clock, junior forward Michael Cole put an exclamation on the Blazers' evening with a solo dunk.
VSU's hard-fought effort was led by Hamilton, who recorded 24 points, four steals, four rebounds, two assists while going eight of 19 from the field and three of seven outside the arc. Gordon recorded 17 points, with one steal, three assists, and went four of 10 from the field.
The Blazers' fast-paced offense recorded 29 points off turnovers, 20 fast break points, racked up 24 turnovers, 21 assists, and four blocked shots. The team recorded 23 rebounds, 13 offensive and ten on the defensive end. VSU finished 37 of 90 from the floor, 10 of 32 from beyond the arc and 22 of 38 from the line as free throws were a major difference in the game. VSU had just ten turnovers for the contest.
CAU's Justin Longstreet went a blistering 15 of 26 from the field, 5 of 9 from range and 5 of 5 from the line, along with six rebounds for 40 points, while Martin added 24 points and 11 rebounds, including 11 of 12 from the line. The Panthers shot 48.1 percent for the game on 38 of 81 from the field, while going 10 of 26 from range and 24 of 29 from the line. CAU held a 59-45 lead in rebounds.
The game marked the first time VSU has faced off against Clark Atlanta since the 2005-2006 season, where the Blazers walked away with a 98-76 win. The last time five or more Blazers scored in double figures was during the 2020-2021 season in VSU's 99-89 win over the West Georgia Wolves on Mar. 5, 2021.
The Blazers are back in action tomorrow at 5 p.m., at Fort Valley State to round out the Gulf South Conference/Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Basketball Challenge. The Wildcats (0-1) fought a tough battle against the West Florida Argonauts Friday evening, but came up short, 69-64.
