VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team returns home to face Delta State and Mississippi College this week for Hall of Fame Weekend at The Complex.  The Blazers and Statesmen are set to tip on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m., and the Mississippi College game is set for a 4 p.m. tip on Saturday, Jan. 15.  
 
The games this week will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM in Valdosta with Mike Chason having the call. Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page.  
 
VSU will honor its 25^th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 15 with a 10 a.m. brunch at the Student Union Ballroom located at 1500 N. Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA, 31698.  Fans can purchase tickets for the brunch at the link to the right of this article ($25 per person). The brunch ticket will also allow access to the VSU basketball doubleheader at The Complex that same afternoon vs. Mississippi College at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
 
The 2022 Class features four outstanding former student-athletes, one long time contributor and a veteran coach.  

• Cedric Jones (Football, 2006-09)
• Candice Ferrell Bryant (Women's Basketball, 2002-06)
• Edmund Kugbila (Football, 2009-12)
• Raphaelle Durante (Women's Tennis, 2007-10)
• Courtney Albritton Carter (Softball, 2012-15)
• Mike Chason (Contributor, 1990-Present)
• Thomas Macera (Softball, 2006-Present)

 
VSU is coming off a heartbreaking, 99-97 overtime loss at West Florida on Saturday as the game saw 18 lead changes and 14 ties.  VSU led by as many as 13 in the second half and led 88-87 with 1:36 left in regulation, before an 88-88 tie through 40 minutes.  In overtime, two free throws from junior Jacolbey Owens put the Blazers up 95-94 with 1:44 left, but a layup from UWF's Wendell Matthews with six seconds left broke a 97-97 score for the game winner.
 
For the game, VSU had six players in double figures and a double-double from junior Michael Cole on 17 points and 12 rebounds, while juniors Cam Hamilton and Maurice Gordon had 19 points each.  
 
Heading into this week's contests, the Blazers sit at 7-7 overall and 3-4 in Gulf South Conference play, while Delta State is 6-8 overall and 5-3 in league play.  Mississippi College is 4-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play.  Union is a league-best 6-1 in GSC play and 12-3 overall.  West Florida sits a half a game back of Union at 6-2 in the league standings and also is 12-3 on the year.  
 
The Blazers had their Dec. 31 game at Alabama Huntsville postponed due to health concerns from COVID-19, but dropped an 84-74 setback on Jan. 2 at West Alabama.  Owens led three Blazers in double figures with 17 points in the game as VSU shot 27 of 55 from the field, but was 13 of 23 from the line as UWA was 27 of 32 from the stripe.  Kortrijk Miles had a game-high 30 points and 19 rebounds for the Tigers.  
 
Delta State enters coming off a 73-66 loss at West Georgia on Jan. 5.  The Statesmen have four players in double figures led by Airen Brooks at 15.2 points per game as he leads the team in rebounding at 7.4 per contest.  Brooks is 68 of 179 from the field and a team-best 39 of 117 from range.  Maalik Cartwright is second in scoring at 13.4 points per game and second in rebounding at 6.8 per contest.  
 
VSU is 25-24 against Delta State since 1983 and has won three-straight in the series, including an 88-69 victory last season in the first round of the GSC Championship in Valdosta on Mar. 2, 2021.  Hamilton had a team-high 22 points in the game last season off the bench on 8 of 14 from the field and 6 of 7 from range.  Owens finished with 15 points and eight rebounds as VSU raced out to a 49-30 lead at halftime.  Brooks and Cartwright each had 14 points for DSU.
 
The Choctaws, who are scheduled to play at West Florida on Thursday, before traveling to VSU for Saturday's contest, have not played since a 72-66 loss to Delta State on Jan. 2.  MC has dropped four of its last five contests dating back to ta 73-70 victory over Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 4.  This season, the Choctaws are led by Tradavis Thompson at 13.5 points per game as he leads four players in double figures.  Thompson is 57 of 120 from the field (.475) and 21 of 52 from range (.404), while going 27 of 34 from the line.  Galen Smith is second in scoring at 11.2 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 5.7 per game.
 
VSU leads the all-time series with MC 21-17 since 1983 and has won the last eight in the series dating back to an 89-88, overtime loss in Valdosta on Dec. 19, 2015.  VSU has won 14 of 19 in the series in Valdosta, while winning ten of the last 15 overall.
 
Following the two games this week, the Blazers return to the road at Christian Brothers (Jan. 20) and at Union (Jan. 22), before returning home to host West Florida on Jan. 29.