VALDOSTA, Ga.- The Valdosta State men's basketball team returns to The Complex after a win at Shorter and a loss at Lee last week. The Blazers will face two Gulf South Conference opponents in Mississippi College and Delta State for Hall of Fame Weekend. VSU opens the week against the Choctaws on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m., and entertain the Statesmen on Sat., Jan. 21 at 4 p.m.
The Blazers are 13-7 overall and 9-5 in Gulf South Conference play. Mississippi College enters at 10-8 overall and 6-8 in the GSC, while Delta State is 6-11 overall and 5-9 in the GSC.
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com. Thursday's game also will be broadcast on 94.3 WJEM FM in Valdosta with Mike Chason having the call and online at www.foxsportsvaldosta.com, while Saturday's game will be broadcast on both 92.1 WDDQ FM and 94.3 WJEM FM and online at www.talk921.com and www.foxsportsvaldosta.com.
Valdosta State continues into the second half of the conference slate this week as the Blazers, who currently have an 9-5 conference record, sit in sixth behind Alabama Huntsville, West Alabama, Union, West Georgia and conference leader, Lee, who holds a 11-3 league mark. Lee defeated Valdosta State last Saturday in a 90-80 decision, despite impressive performances from senior Mohamed Fofana, who posted 22 points, and junior Jay Rucker, who chipped in 16.
The Blazer men's basketball team received its first Gulf South Conference loss to Mississippi College in a double overtime thriller, 106-101, on Nov. 28, 2022. In that matchup, the Blazers fought back from a three-point deficit at half as the Blazers and Choctaws battled back and forth the entire second half. VSU ended up with an 82-80 lead with 49 seconds remaining in regulation thanks to a layup from senior Jacolbey Owens. The Choctaws then made two free throws after a foul, sending the game into overtime. In the first OT, the Choctaws built a four-point lead late, but a pair of free throws from Rucker and a layup from graduate student Ryan Black kept the Blazers alive at 92 apiece to force a second overtime. In the second overtime, the Blazers built a five-point cushion, but the Choctaws battle back with six free throws and a pair of jumpers to snap the Blazers' six-game winning streak, 106-101. The loss marked the first time the Blazers have lost to the Choctaws since December 19, 2015, in an 89-88 decision.
VSU leads the all-time series with MC 22-18, dating back to Jan. 10, 1983. The Blazers had won nine-straight in the series prior to the matchup earlier this season. VSU owns a 15-5 record in Valdosta in the series and has won five-straight at home dating back to the 89-88 loss in 2015 in overtime.
In the first matchup this season with the Statesmen, VSU prevailed 73-64 on Nov. 26 for the third GSC victory of the campaign. VSU finished with five players in double figures led by Black who had a team-high 14 points on 5 of 8 from the field and went 4 of 7 from distance. As a team VSU shot 53.2 percent from the field on 25 of 47, shooting 6 of 19 from downtown and 17 of 33 from the line.
The Blazers have won seven of the last ten matchups with Delta State, including five-straight. VSU owns a 27-24 record in the series dating back to Jan. 8, 1983, in a 91-83 victory in Valdosta. The Blazers are 18-5 against the Statesmen in Titletown and have won seven-straight at home in the series dating back to a 62-52 victory on Dec. 17, 2015.
This season, the Blazers lead the GSC in scoring offense at 86.6 points per game for 14th nationally. VSU is also first in the GSC in team field goal percentage shooting 48.7 percent for 34th nationally. The Blazers sit third in three-point percentage in the GSC, shooting 36.9 percent on the year, while they are second in the GSC in a turnover margin at a 3.65 clip for 26th nationally. VSU is first in the GSC and 44th nationally in turnovers forced per game at a 16.4 clip.
Individually, Owens is tenth in the GSC in scoring averaging 15.7 points per game while also second in assists per game averaging at a 5.9 clip for 12th nationally. He heads into the weekend just 26 points shy from reaching 1,000 career points and will be the second Blazer to achieve 1,000 career points this season as redshirt senior Cam Hamilton scored his 1,000th point earlier this season. Hamilton is tied for first in the GSC for steals per game at 2.1 steals per game for 35th nationally. Hamilton set the school-record for career steals earlier this season as well and has 189 thefts in 99 games. Fofana is third in the GSC in field goal percentage shooting 110 of 194 (.567) for the season. Graduate student Maurice Gordon is fifth in the GSC in blocks averaging 1.3 per game. Head coach Mike Helfer is in his 18th season at the helm of the Blazers and is 344-169 at VSU, while he is in his 26th season of coaching overall and is 530-252 all-time.
The Choctaws enter the week going 2-3 over the past five games. MC is under the direction of head coach Randy Bolden, who is in his second year at the helm of the program. Smith is 17-28 at Mississippi College and 1-1 against VSU.
Individually, MC's Tradavis Thompson leads the Choctaws in scoring and fourth in the conference, averaging 18.6 points per game as well as leading the team in three-point percentage, going 43 of 93 from distance for a 46 percent clip. Galen Smith is the GSC leader in field goal percentage, going 97 of 150 for a 64.7 average and is the second highest scorer on the team, averaging 15.4 points per game. Miles Miller is the GSC leader in assists per game at 6.2 assists per contest, just above Owens.
Delta State has won four of its last five games with its last win coming against GSC opponent Christian Brothers last Saturday, 75-68. The Statesmen will travel to Pensacola, Fla., to face West Florida Thursday evening, before facing Valdosta State on Saturday afternoon. Delta State is led by head coach Mike Nienaber who is in his fourth season with the Statesmen. Nienaber is 31-55 with Delta State and is 623-562-2 overall in his 40 seasons of coaching.
Individually, Maalik Cartwright leads the Statesmen in scoring, averaging 21 points per game. He is 106 of 176 from the field. (.602), while he is 56 of 94 from the free throw line and is 5 of 16 from beyond the arc. He has a team-high 38 assists and is second on the team in rebounding at 83 for the season. Cartwright was named the D2CIDA (Division II Conference Information Directors Association) National Player of the Week as he scored a career-high 45 points in a seven-point win over Christian Brothers. That amount is the fourth-highest single-game total in DSU school history, the second-highest in the Gulf South Conference this season and tied for fifth-highest in NCAA Division II. He began his week with 28 points in a 75-71 overtime win against Union, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Sam Smith leads the team and conference in rebounding pulling down 171 rebounds this season and averaging 10.7 per game. Smith also leads the team in blocks with 22 on the season.
Following this weekend, the Blazers will return to the road to face off against West Georgia on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
