VALDOSTA, Ga. – For the second time this season, the Valdosta State vs. West Florida game came down to the final seconds. The Blazers posted an 84-81 victory Saturday afternoon at The Complex to split the season series. The Blazers went 3 of 4 in the final 2.6 seconds for the three-point victory. 
 
VSU led for the majority of the final 12 minutes of the second half and held a 79-74 lead with just under two minutes remaining.  After a miss by the Blazers, an offensive rebound and score from UWF pulled the Argos within 79-76 and 56.5 seconds remaining.  
 
UWF fouled sophomore Cam Selders putting him at the line for two shots with 42.4 seconds left.  Selders missed the first shot and made the second for an 80-76 lead and LaTrell Tate hit an off-balance 3-pointer pulling UWF within 80-79 and 34.6 seconds remaining.  VSU turned the ball over on an errant pass on the in-bounds play.  Tate's lean in jumper was rejected by VSU junior Jacolbey Owens who was fouled on the rebound.  He made one of two for an 81-79 lead with 15 seconds left.   
 
UWF's Daniel Sofield scored with seven seconds remaining and Selders was hacked with 2.6 seconds remaining, beginning a frantic finish.  Selders made both free throws and UWF's in bounds pass went out of bounds giving the ball back to VSU.  Following a timeout by the Blazers, Tate fouled Owens before the ball was put into play.  Owens missed the first toss and made the second as UWF's desperation heave at the buzzer fell short.  
 
Back on Jan. 8, in Pensacola, Fla., UWF won with a bucket from Wendell Matthews with six seconds left in overtime for the Argos.
 
With the key mid-season win, the Blazers improved to 10-9 overall and 6-6 in Gulf South Conference play, while UWF fell to 15-5 overall and 9-4 in league play.  VSU juniors Jacolbey Owens and Mohamed Fofana each had 18 points and combined for 13 of 24 from the field leading four players in double figures.  Sophomore Michael Cole added 15 points on 5 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 from the line, while junior Cam Hamilton added 12 points and ten rebounds, including five steals.  
 
As a team, the Blazers were 29 of 63 from the field, 5 of 19 from deep and 21 of 32 from the line, including 5 of 8 from the line in the final minute.  VSU forced UWF into 17 turnovers and held a 17-10 lead in points off turnovers.  
 
The Argos were led by 20 points from Sofield on 7 of 13 from the field, 2 of 6 from deep and 4 of 4 from the line with nine rebounds.  Tate chipped in 15 points as UWF shot an even 50 percent from the field on 30 of 60 from the field, 8 of 20 from beyond the arc and 13 of 20 from the line.  
 
The Blazers started out the game on fire as junior Jacolbey Owens got things started with a triple and then freshman Ricky Brown buried a triple for a 6-1 lead, followed by a sophomore Michael Cole jumper and Owens scored his fifth point on a jumper for a 10-4 start with 17:49 left in the half. 
 
UWF's David Petit-Homme buried a trey for a 15-9 score with 16:37 left in the half and Brandon Burford's jumper pulled the Argos within 15-11 with 14:41 remaining.  UWF stretched the run to 13-0 and a 19-15 lead as UWF made five of its last six field goals.  VSU was 1 of its last nine during the run and was scoreless for the last 4:36. Kendall Bynum made one of two free throws for a 20-15 lead with 12:18 left in the half.  Following a miss from the Blazers, UWF's LaTrell Tate buried a triple for a 23-15 lead, extending the run to 17-0.  VSU junior Mohammed Fofana ended the run with a jumper in the paint for a 23-17 score. 
 
Junior Cam Hamilton hit a step back jumper, pulling VSU within 23-20 with nine minutes remaining in the half, but an offensive rebound and put back from Jackson Henningfield stretched the back to five.  A bucket inside from Fofana pulled VSU within 27-24 with 7:29 on the clock.  
 
Two free throws from VSU sophomore Kelan Walker pulled the Blazers within 27-26 out of a media timeout, but the Argos had the answer with a triple from Jejuan Weatherspoon at the other end.  Weatherspoon then got his own rebound and back up for a bucket, pushing the lead to 32-26.  Hamilton's jumper in the corner pulled VSU within 32-30 with 4:30 left in the half and his eight point of the contest.  
 
Two free throws from Brown and a steal and foul on the Argos put VSU at the line with the chance to tie.  Fofana made both free throws to tie the game at 35 with 2:43 left in the half.  UWF's Daniel Sofield answered with a trey at the other end – his first points of the game and a 38-35 advantage.  Fofana scored inside for the final bucket of the half and a 40-37 VSU deficit at halftime.
 
Hamilton opened the second half with a triple to tie the game at 40 with 19:37 left.  Following a missed shot by the Argos, Fofana scored in transition for a 42-40 lead and the first Blazer lead since 14:29 in the first half.  
 
An intentional foul was called on Wendell Matthews as Hamilton went to the line tying the game at 49 with 15:51 remaining in regulation for the fourth tie of the game.    Sophomore Cam Selders put VSU back in front 53-52 with 13 minutes and change left, but Sofield followed with a trey for a 55-53 Argo lead.  
 
Back-to-back buckets from Owens put VSU in front 59-57 and a steal and layup from Selders stretched the lead to 61-57 with 11:37 remaining in regulation.  Cole's offensive rebound and score pushed the VUS lead back to four at 63-59 with 10:30 remaining.  
 
Over the next four minutes, VSU kept the 2-4 point-lead and held a 68-65 advantage with six minutes remaining.  Hamilton came up with a big offensive rebound and scored on a floater in the lane for a 70-65 lead with 5:19 left.  
 
Junior Maurice Gordon hit a triple for a 75-69 lead with 3:43 remaining, but Sofield finished at the other end and Owens earned the "and one" for the Blazers for a 77-71 lead with 3:12 left.  Out of the final media timeout, Owens missed the free throw as the game went under three minutes remaining.  Matthews made one of two free throws for a 77-72 VSU advantage.  
 
The Blazers are back in action on February 3 at 8 p.m. to host the Alabama Huntsville Chargers inside the Complex and then will host West Alabama on February 5 at 4 p.m.