VALDOSTA, Ga. – Following a 2-0 week to open Gulf South Conference action, the Valdosta State men's basketball team looks to extend its four-game winning streak with a midweek, nonconference, game against Clinton College on Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. inside the Complex.  

The Blazers are coming off huge conference victories over Lee on Nov. 17, 81-79, and against Shorter on Nov. 19, 101-62. In the game against Lee, VSU had four players score in double figures as senior guard Jacolbey Owens recorded a team-high 21 points, going 8 of 15 from the field, 3 of 5 from deep and 2 of 2 from the line in addition to a team-high six assists and two steals. Sophomore forward Caden Boser scored 19 points in his Blazer home debut, going 4 of 8 from the field, 1 of 3 from deep and 10 of 11 from the line, while junior forward Jay Rucker added 16 points in his Blazer home debut on 7 of 10 from the field with a team-high eight rebounds, four blocks and one steal. Graduate student Ryan Black added 12 points off the bench with three treys. As a team, the Blazers shot an even 50 percent on 28 of 56 from the floor, while going 8 of 19 from deep and 17 of 22 from the line, including 15 of 19 from the line in the second half.   

Against Shorter, senior forward Mohamed Fofana had a career night as the New York, N.Y., native, recorded a career high 26 points and five other Blazers finished the game in double figures. Fofana was a blistering 10 of 12 from the field with one triple and 5 of 6 from the line, along with five assists and three steals. Black had 16 points off the bench on 5 of 8 from the field and 4 of 7 from deep, while going 2 for 2 from the line. Black and Boser added seven rebounds each while Owens finished with 14 points on 4 of 7 from the field, 3 of 3 from deep and 3 of 4 from the line, while recording five assists and two rebounds. Senior guard Cam Hamilton had 11 points off the bench with three treys while senior guard Maurice Gordon added ten points and six rebounds. 

As a team, VSU shot 56.9 percent from the field on 37 of 65, while it was a season-high 15 of 29 from downtown and 12 of 16 from the line.  VSU pulled down 39 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive end, while committing just nine turnovers.  The 101 points by the Blazers marked the first time over the century mark for VSU since a 118-78 victory over Coastal Georgia on Nov. 29, 2021. 

For the season, the Blazers are shooting 47.7 from the field, 36.1 from beyond the arc and 73.9 from the free throw line. VSU has added 90 assists while averaging 15 per game, 59 thefts while averaging a conference-high 9.8 per game, 19 blocks and 203 rebounds. The Blazers are second in the league with a 1.53 assist/turnover ratio and second in scoring offense, averaging 82 points per game.  

Individually, Fofana leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game in addition to a 79.3 free-throw percentage, a 59.4 field-goal percentage, 29 rebounds, and 14 assists. He also leads the conference in field goals with 38 made of 64 attempts. Owens has a conference-high 36 assists to lead the team in addition to 12 thefts, 12 rebounds and shooting 40.9 from the field. Rucker has added a team-high 34 rebounds on the year, including 10 offensive and a conference-high nine blocks while Hamilton has a conference-high 14 steals to lead the Blazers.  

For the Golden Bears, Clinton College, a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) member enters the week with a 3-1 record and is coming off a 99-65 exhibition loss to Division I Queens on Nov. 10. Prior to the loss, the Golden Bears won 113-100 over Wilberforce (Ohio) on Nov. 6. For the season, Clinton College has a 44.6 field goal percentage, a 26.3 three-point percentage and an 87 free throw percentage. The Golden Bears have also recorded 143 rebounds, 20 assists, 13 steals and 10 blocks.

Individually, Jeremiah Anderson leads the offense averaging 18 points per game and four steals while Mike Wynn is averaging 14 rebounds per game along with four steals and Cameron Shannon has a team-high six assists. Wynn and Jaden Clark both lead the team with three blocks each.  

Following Clinton, the Blazers will return to conference action and begin a two-game road swing beginning with Delta State on Nov. 26 at 5 p.m. ET in Cleveland Miss., and will travel to Mississippi College on Nov. 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET.