VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State University men's basketball team is set to take on the Shorter Hawks in Rome, Ga. on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Blazers are coming off two losses, a 86-79 loss to West Georgia on December 4 at home and an 81-75 loss to Clayton State on the Road on Tuesday. 

Jacolbey Owens and Michael Cole currently lead the team in points this year with 124 points each. Owens and Cole average 15.5 points per game. Owens has recorded 14 rebounds and 22 assists while Cole has recorded 70 rebounds and five assists. Cole currently leads the GSC in rebounds per game.  

Early Season Losses

VSU fell to the Clayton State Lakers on Tuesday, 81-75. The meeting marked the second time VSU and Clayton State have met this season. The Blazers went 30 of 69 (43.5%) from the field and six of 18 (33.3%) from outside the arc. The Blazers scored 14 points off turnovers and scored eight second-chance points. VSU came within one point of the Lakers with eight minutes left to play, but couldn't outlast the Lakers' offense. Michael Cole ended the game as the second-leading scorer, putting up 17 points and seven rebounds and one assist, just behind Jacolbey Owens, who scored a season-high 27 points and shot 10 of 16 from the field.

The Blazers also fell 86-79 to the West Georgia Wolves on December 4 to open GSC play. Junior guard Jacolbey Owens and sophomore guard DJ Mitchell led the Blazers' offense with 16 points each. Junior forward Mohamed Fofana led VSU in rebounds with eight while also recording ten points on the night, one assist, and one steal.  Owens recorded four assists, one block, and one steal while Mitchell grabbed seven rebounds.

vs. Shorter

The Blazers are facing off against the Hawks for the 21st time since 2013. The Blazers are 5-0 in the past five meetings, with the most recent meeting ending in a 97-73 scoreline in favor of VSU on January 23, 2021. The last loss for the Blazers against Shorter was during the 2015-2016 season, where the Hawks walked away with a 105-97 win in Valdosta. 

The Hawks are riding a two-game losing streak, picking up a 76-61 loss against Christian Brothers on December 2, and a 92-71 loss against Union this past Saturday. Shorter has wins against Lanne College, Fort Valley State, and Young Harris College. Jay Shropshire averages 11 points per game for the Hawks, picking up 66 points on the year along with 16 rebounds, 13 assists and four steals. Jaden Dunham leads the team in rebounds with 33 and averages 5.5 per game. He has 46 points on the year and averages 7.7 per game.

The Blazers continue their road trip on Monday, facing off against Lee at 8 p.m. in Cleveland, Tenn.