VALDOSTA, Ga. - The No. 22-ranked Valdosta State men's basketball team comes home for its last regular season series where the team's set to face off against the Auburn Montgomery Warhawks inside The Complex this Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m.
 
Due to the pandemic, there will be no paper programs at the games this season, please click on the link to the right of this story and each home game preview throughout the season.  There also will be sheets at the entrances of the P.E. Complex each gameday with the QR code for the game program.
 
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be limited occupancy for home games (1,100 maximum attendance) and face coverings will be required at all times for all guests over the age of 2.
 
VSU (10-4, 10-4 GSC) split last weekend's series against Montevallo, dropping Friday's game 97-93 and bouncing back with a win on Saturday 79-73. The Blazers were led in scoring by redshirt junior Cam Hamilton who led the team both Friday and Saturday in points, dropping 25 on Friday and 17 on Saturday. Senior Imoras Agee finished the weekend with 10 rebounds which was the most combined rebounds by a Blazer during the weekend.
 
Valdosta State bounced back Saturday evening to help head coach Mike Helfer record his 499th career win over the span of his 24 years of coaching. Currently, Helfer holds a record of 313-145 at the helm of the Blazers in his 16th year. Helfer hit the 300-win mark as the Blazers head coach last season with an 80-66 win over West Florida on Feb. 27, 2020.
 
After the weekend split, the Blazers dropped down to 25 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II rankings and remained at 22 in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) rankings. In the NABC rankings, Alabama Huntsville moved up to the top ten while Lee dropped one spot and is now at 19 while Union received votes. Alabama Huntsville dropped down to seven in the D2SIDA poll while Lee dropped to 15.
 
Auburn Montgomery enters the week with a 2-6 record overall, dropping its last two games, one a 66-61 loss Tuesday, Feb. 9, against Shorter and a 62-56 loss Feb 2, against Lee. The Warhawks are led by Maharrith Jackson who averages 17.1 ppg, going 45 for 107 (.421) from the field with 15 threes. The senior also leads the team in rebounds per game with 8.5, totaling 68 on the year.
 
Led by 7th year head coach Michael Cheaney, the Warhawks are shooting .441 from the field while going .349 from deep to average 72.6 ppg, where the team gets outscored by an average of 6.5 points. The Warhawks fare well on the glass, averaging 37.6 rpg while only giving up 34.0 for a positive 3.6 margin. Auburn Montgomery falls in the middle of the GSC in points per game, just .1 ppg into cracking the top five. The Warhawks finds itself in the bottom three in average points per game given up, one spot behind the Blazers who sit at 10. AUM sits at ninth in offensive (.441) and defensive (.455) field goal percentage and are second behind the Blazers (40.6) in rebounds per game with 37.6.
 
The Blazers met the Warhawks earlier this season, coming away with two wins on the road Saturday, Jan. 2, 89-76 and Sunday, Jan. 3, 99-72. Agee led the series with 43 points and 14 rebounds, recording his first double-double as a Blazer during Sunday's victory. Overall, The Blazers have won all eight outings against the Warhawks, dating back to its first matchup in Valdosta, Ga. Jan. 19, 2018, by a final score of 104-81. On average, the Blazers outscore the Warhawks 100-82.7 inside The Complex and average 99.1 ppg against AUM. Auburn Montgomery came close during its second matchup against the Blazers on Feb. 10, 2018, where the Blazers were able to come away with a two-point victory after Winston Morgan hit a three-pointer down by one with :30 seconds left.
 
Agee, the Blazers leading scorer, ranks first on the GSC leaderboard in total points scored with 241 and fifth in average points per game with 17.2. Agee also ranks first in field goals made with 89 and minutes on the floor with 443. Behind Agee is Hamilton with 204 total points which is good for second among all GSC players while senior Burke Putnam rounds out the top three with 193 points.
 
Season tickets are on sale now. Please call 229-333-SEAT for more information on purchasing tickets. Check back with vstateblazers.com for updates on all things Blazer basketball and on all VSU's 12 intercollegiate athletic programs.