ATLANTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazers used every ounce of energy they had in the season opener, starting the season off 1-0 in a 74-70 win in overtime against Fort Valley State on Friday night.
 
Blazer senior Lee Flenor earned the "and one" attempt for the first bucket of the season, but missed the free throw, for a 2-2 score with 17:47 left in the first half.  VSU began the game with three turnovers prior to Flenor's bucket, as both teams started the game a combined 1 for 9 from the field through the first three minutes and change.  
 
The fourth turnover on the Blazers led to a bucket for FVSU and an early 8-4 lead for the Wildcats.  Junior Caden Boser hit two free throws to pull the Blazers within 8-6 with 14:38 left in the half.  An "and one" for FVSU pushed the lead to 13-6 with 13:51 left in the half as the Wildcats stretched the run to 9-2 since the 16:19 mark.  VSU would then go cold from the field as senior Mike Isler made the first Blazer field goal since the 16:47 mark on a jumper pulling VSU within 13-9 with 11:15 left in the half.
 
Goaltending on FVSU gave senior Jay Rucker a bucket and pulled VSU within 21-19 with just over seven minutes left in the half.  Rucker then hit both tosses for a 23-22 deficit and six minutes left in the half for as close as VSU had been since a 4-2 lead early in the half.  Rucker pulled VSU within three, once again, at 27-24 with 4:46 left in the half on more charity tosses.
 
A bucket as the shot clock was winding down for FVSU put the Wildcats in front 32-27 with just under a minute left in the half.  Following a dunk from FVSU, Blazer junior Jack Wetzel buried a triple in the corner pulling VSU back within three at 34-31 with 26.4 seconds left in the half.  VSU got a big block from junior Te'Derrius Williams as the half ran out with FVSU leading 34-31 at the break.
 
Stats were not available at halftime due to technical difficulties.
 
Tate began the second half with a driving bucket for a 34-33 deficit.  Following a turnover on the Blazers, a triple from Pierre Mitchell and a steal and dunk from Khadim Samb, pushed the FVSU lead to 39-33 with 18:03 left and a timeout by the Blazers.  Out of the stoppage, Rucker had an offensive rebound and put back shrinking the deficit to 39-35. Following a turnover on the Wildcats, Rucker had a step back triple for a 39-38 deficit and, following a miss by FVSU, Boser had a dunk off an inbounds play for VSU's first lead since 4-2 at 40-39 and under 16 minutes to play.  
 
Blazer graduate student LaTrell Tate then called corner pocket breaking a 42-42 score with a triple and a 45-42 lead with 12:42 left for the largest lead of the game for VSU to that point. After both teams went back and forth, graduate student Sam Martin capped it off with a pull-up three to give the Blazers a 54-50 lead with 7:15 left.
 
Out of the timeout, Rucker got an easy layup off a great dish from Martin to extend the lead to 56-50. Both teams continued to go back and forth, as Valdosta State was leading 61-54 heading into the final media timeout.
 
After the break, FVSU hit a jumper with 3:20 left to cut the VSU lead to five. Junior Braxton Williams went down and hit two from the charity stripe to extend the lead back to seven. After a three from Fort Valley State, Valdosta State turned the ball over to give the Wildcats the ball with 2:30 left. FVSU took advantage, making a bucket on the other end to trim the lead to two with 2:10 left, forcing Helfer to call a timeout.
 
Out of Helfer's timeout, Martin threaded the needle on a pass to Rucker for an "and-one" but couldn't convert the free-throw, bringing the lead back up to four. FVSU made a layup on the other end to make it a two-point game with 1:30 left, after a missed shot for the Blazers, the Wildcats were fouled with 1:04 left with a chance to tie the game. They made one of two, putting the ball back in the Blazers hands up one with 1:00 left. After a missed layup from Tate, FVSU got the ball back and had a wide open three in the left corner that was left short, putting Tate on line for a "one and one" up one with 21.9 seconds left. Tate missed it long, but Isler corralled the board and was fouled, as he headed to the line for two. Isler missed the first one, but made the second one to put VSU up two with 18.4 left. FVSU made a tough drive and managed to get fouled on a layup attempt with 4.6 seconds left and a chance to tie the game. With the game on line, the Wildcats knocked down both free throws to tie the game with 4.6 seconds left. The Blazer got it in quickly and Wetzel shot a contested three at the buzzer that just missed to take the game to overtime tied at 66.
 
The Wildcats struck first in overtime with a pair of free throws at the 4:15 mark to take a 68-66 lead. Martin was quickly fouled after getting the ball inbounded and sank both free throws to tie the game at 68. Both teams were forcing tough shots on both ends, with the game still knotted at 68 apiece with 2:36 left. Boser was fouled and went 1-2 at the line to give the Blazers a narrow lead. After a made layup, VSU trailed with 1:00 left. Rucker threw down an emphatic dunk, then followed that up with a strip and slam to give the Blazers a three-point lead with 42.7 left. Valdosta State got the last stop they needed and made a free throw to secure a 74-70 overtime win to kick off the 2023-2024 campaign.
 
Stats were not available at the end of the game due to technical difficulties.
 
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