VALDOSTA, Ga. – Junior forward Michael Cole recorded a season-high 29 points, while the Valdosta State men's basketball team shot 50% from the field in its 92-79 win over the Clayton State Lakers Tuesday evening in the 2021-2022 home opener. 
 
The Lakers (1-2) ended the first half with a slight advantage over the Blazers, 49-47. The Blazers (2-1) went  coast to coast with the Lakers and shot 19 out of 39 (48.7%) from the field and two of seven (28.6%) outside the arc. 
 
Sophomore guard DJ Mitchell recorded eight points for the Blazers in the first half and ended the game with 16 points and season highs in three-pointers made with three, steals with two, assists with two, and rebounds with seven.  Mitchell finished the match with the second-most points made, just behind Cole.
 
Cole, a transfer from Hillsborough Community College, recorded a dominating season-high 29 points, went 13 of 17 from the field, picked up nine rebounds, two assists and one block, and went three of four in free throws. 
 
"It was definitely a big win," Cole said. "They are a really strong team in a good conference, so it's super big on us to pick up a win at home. We just have to keep grinding."
 
In the second half, the Blazers started to build their lead off a layup from Cole assisted by junior forward Maurice Gordon with 13:13 left in the match. Gordon finished the evening going four of six from the field and recording a season-high in assists with three. 
 
The Blazers put an exclamation on the evening with a dunk by junior guard Jacolbey Owens, assisted by Cole. In his 14^th career start for the Blazers, Owens went six of ten from the field and sunk one three-pointer in two attempts. He picked up a season-high 14 points and had two assists and three steals. 
 
The Lakers were led by Kobie Johnson, who recorded 19 points on the evening and went six of 12 from the field and five of nine outside the arc. A pair of Lakers, Ricardo Saamd Jr. and Jalen Shaw, scored 14 points for the Blazers. Shaw recorded a double-double for CSU, also picking up 12 rebounds. Head coach Vince Alexander added 12 players to the Lakers' roster this season, 10 of whom are transfers. The newly vamped Lakers couldn't outlast VSU's blazing offense, as the Blazers walked away with a 92-79 win. 
 
In his 17^th season at the helm for the Blazers, head coach Mike Helfer recorded his 322^nd win at VSU. 
 
"I thought we played really good defensively in the second half," Helfer said. "We made some halftime adjustments, which I think is critical in basketball, and I thought we really played well offensively around the basket tonight. Michael Cole was just a monster, and the other guys finished shots around the rim, something we didn't do this past weekend."
 
Helfer and the Blazers are back in action in the Palm Beach Atlantic Thanksgiving Classic on November 26 and 27. VSU will tip-off against Lynn University on Friday, November 26, and Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, November 27 at 4 p.m. before returning home to host Coastal Georgia on November 29 at 7:30 p.m. inside the Complex. 
 
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