VALDOSTA, Ga. –  The Valdosta State Blazer basketball team suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers on Tuesday night at The Complex. Valdosta State dropped to 2-1 while Morehouse college improved to 1-2.
 
In a first half that saw 12 lead changes and four ties, neither team was able to get much an advantage as VSU led by as many as six at 40-34 with 25 seconds remaining in the half and Morehouse held an 8-5 lead early for its largest advantage.  
 
It was a very physical half on both sides as the teams were called for 19 fouls combined as VSU was 6 of 11 from the free throw line and Morehouse was 7 of 11.  The Blazers were 4 of 15 from distance and went 15 of 40 from the field for a 37.5 clip, while Morehouse was 16 of 33 from the field, but the Tigers were 0 of 7 from beyond the arc.  Morehouse held a 27-16 lead in rebounding, while VSU held a 15-7 lead in points off turnovers as the Blazers forced 14 miscues by the Tigers as the Blazers had six miscues.  
 
Senior Braxton Williams had 11 points on 5 of 8 from the field and 1 of 2 from distance for the Blazers as the only player in double figures.  MC's Cedric Taylor III had 13 points on 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 3 from the line, while he pulled down seven rebounds.  
 
The Blazers used a 3-pointer from graduate student JC Clausi for a 38-34 lead with 2:23 left in the half and a layup from junior Peter McKey pushed the lead to 40-34 with the 25 seconds left.  MC would respond, however, as Taylor scored all five points with a dunk and then made all three free throws on a foul with 0.7 seconds remaining for a 40-39 VSU lead at intermission.
 
VSU opened the second half with a 6-0 run and then nine of the first 11 points for a 49-41 lead with 17:40 to play capped on a triple from Williams.  The Maroon Tigers responded quickly and erased the deficit with an 8-0 run highlighted by a dunk from JerMontae Hill.  VSU then stretched the lead back to nine at 58-49 highlighted by a layup from senior Carlos Hart and another trey from Williams.

Morehouse pulled within 58-53 on an "and one" from Josiah Lawson, but the Blazers once again had the answer pushing the lead back to 11 at 68-57 with 8:20 to play.  Just as before, however, the Maroon Tigers roared back with an 11-0 run capped with a turnover and an "and one" for Matt Coffee to tie the game at 68 with 6:19 to go.  
 
Another turnover on the Blazers led to an Omar Rowe jumper for a 70-68 MC lead extending the run to 13-0 and giving Morehouse its first lead since the first half.  Two more free throws from Hill pushed the lead to 72-68.  After a free throw by the Blazers to end the run at 15-0, Rowe buried a triple for a 75-69 score, but Hart scored inside ending a field goal drought of almost five minutes for the red and black and a 75-71 deficit with 4:32 to play.  
 
Hart continued his strong play and scored four more tying the game at 75 with three minutes to go and then gave VSU the lead at 77-75 with 2:23 to play.  Since the 9:26 mark on a dunk by Antonio Green for a 67-57 VSU lead, Hart was the only Blazer scorer the rest of the way.  Leading 77-75, Hill made two free throws tying the game at 77.  Hart put the Blazers up 79-77, but Coffey tied the game at 79 with 1:330 to play.  Hart gave VSU an 80-79 lead, but Lawson scored the old fashion three-point play for an 82-80 lead.  Following a turnover on the Blazers and steal from Taylor, Hill hit a floating jumper with less than five seconds on the shot clock for an 84-80 lead and 16 ticks left for the final margin as MC would win 84-80.
 
Blazer senior Carlos Hart led all scorers with 25 points on six of nine from the field and 13 of 18 from the charity stripe. Right behind him was fellow senior Braxton Williams, as the sturdy guard chipped in with 22 points of his own on four made triples. As a team, Valdosta State shot .392 from the field on 74 attempts while Morehouse College shot .508 for the game on 63 shots.
 
The Blazers have six days off before hosting Middle Georgia on Monday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m.