VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team led by as many as ten in the first half, but wasn't able to hang on, falling 68-61 to visiting Lee University Saturday Afternoon.  Blazer graduate student LaTrell Tate had a season-high 24 points to lead three players in double figures.
 
The Blazers fell to 7-11 overall and 4-10 in GSC play, while Lee improved to 11-5 overall and 9-5 in league play.  Tate finished 6 of 13 from the field, while he was 3 of 5 from downtown and 9 of 11 from the line.  Junior Braxton Williams added 15 points on 6 of 14 from the field, 2 of 6 from distance and 1 of 2 from the line.  Senior Lee Flenor had ten points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds.  Flenor was 5 of 10 from the field.  As a team, the Blazers shot 38.6 percent on 22 of 57, but were just 9 of 29 in the second half after opening 13 of 28 from the field in the first half.  VSU was 6 of 17 from distance (1 of 7 second half) and went 11 of 17 from the line after opening 5 of 6 from the stripe in the first stanza.
 
Lee had four players in double figures led by 13 points on 6 of 10 from the field and 1 of 2 from the line from Beyuan Hendricks, while Noah Boler-Kyle added 12 points and 12 rebounds on 5 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from the line for the Flames.   Lee shot 26 of 54 from the field for 48.1 percent, while it was 6 of 22 from distance and 10 of 16 from the line.  Lee went 13 of 22 from the field in the second half for 59.1 percent.
 
Earlier Saturday morning, VSU inducted its 27^th Class into the VSU Athletic Hall of Fame and the 2024 Class includes; Shelby Altman (Softball 2013-2014), Leo Blay (Men's Tennis 2015-2017), Michael Doscher (Coach 1996-2020), Skip Fite (Baseball 1976-1977), Mike Leach (Coach 1992-1996), Kenny Moore II (Football 2013-2016), Cedric O'Neal (Football 2012-2015), Herb Reinhard (Athletic Director 1992-2024), Holly Satterfield (Softball 2009-2011) and Dr. Cheri and Hamilton Tillman (Contributor 1995 - Present).
 
Blazer graduate student LaTrell Tate began the game with a triple off an offensive rebound from junior Braxton Williams with 19:03 left in the first half.  The old-fashion three-point play for Noah Boler-Kyle on a dunk tied the game at seven with 16:26 to play.  From there, a layup from Williams and a layup from senior Lee Flenor pushed the lead to 11-7 in favor of VSU.  Later in the half Beyuan Hendricks tied the game at 15 with a pull up jumper for his sixth point of the game and 10:10 left in the half.  
 
VSU junior Caden Boser, who had missed the last two games, drained a triple with 8:36 left in the half.  Two triples from Lee's Willie Walton gave the Flames their first lead of the game at 21-20 with 6:54 to go, but a dunk from Flenor followed and then a triple from Tate, his 12^th point of the half, pushed the lead back to four in favor of the red and black with 5:34 to play in the half at 25-21.  He then hit one of two free throws and another triple for a 29-21 lead with four minutes left in the half.  VSU extended to an 11-0 run with a bucket from Williams with 3:08 left in the half.  Williams then drained a triple with 93 seconds left in the half for a 36-26 lead.  Lee closed the half on a 7-0 run courtesy of two free throws from Boler-Kyle and a four-point play on a triple from Walton for a 36-33 VSU lead at the break.
 
VSU shot 46.4 percent for the half on 13 of 28 from the field, while the Blazers were 5 of 10 from deep and 5 of 6 from the line.  Lee was 13 of 32 from the floor, 4 of 15 from beyond the arc and 3 of 3 from the line.  VSU held a slim 16-14 lead in rebounding as both teams committed six turnovers with Lee holding a 9-8 lead in points off turnovers.  Tate had the hot hand for the Blazers as he scored 18 points in the first half on 5 of 8 from the field, 3 of 3 from deep and 5 of 6 from the line in 16 minutes of action, while both Boler-Kyle and Walton had ten points apiece for Lee. 
 
A hoop-and-harm for Blazer graduate student Jay Rucker pushed the lead to six at 39-33 on the first possession of the second half.  A dunk from Boler-Kyle, his 12^th point of the game, tied the game at 43 with 16:01 to play.  
 
Hendricks hit two buckets and Tariq Daughton scored inside for a 49-44 Lee lead with 12:26 to play, but Williams had a layup for his 12^thpoint, followed by a miscue on the Flames with VSU trailing 49-46 and 11:51 remaining.  Out of the media timeout, Williams drained his second triple knotting the game at 49.  
 
The Flames proceeded to go on a 10-2 run, capped with a triple from Daughton with 6:37 to play and a 59-51 score.  The Blazers kept chipping away as Tate hit two free throws for 24 points for a 62-57 deficit and 4:11 remaining.  Flenor pulled down his ninth rebound of the game and put back for a 62-59 deficit and 3:11 to play.  Lee's J.J. Barnes had the answer, however, with a bucket at the other end and 2:39 remaining at 64-59.  Tate had a good look at a triple, but it was just off as Hendricks collected the rebound with 2:10 left.  Senior Mike Isler scored his first two points of the game for a 65-61 deficit and 1:41 to play.  
 
A big offensive rebound by Lee on a 1 and 1 free throw and foul by the Blazers with 26 seconds put Daughton back at the line where he made one of two free throws.  Williams missed a triple at the other end and a foul by VSU with 12 ticks remaining trailing 66-61.  Lee made two free throws for the final margin.
 
The Blazers return to the road next week as they travel to the Magnolia State for a pair of games at Delta State and Mississippi College.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page for links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more.