VALDOSTA, Ga. – An 18-2 run to open the second half propelled the Valdosta State men's basketball team to a 94-75 victory over Middle Georgia Monday evening at The Complex. The Blazers improved to 3-1 on the year, while MG fell to 6-2.
The Blazers were led by senior
Braxton Williams with a game-high 24 points on 8 of 19 from the field, while he was 3 of 9 from distance and 5 of 7 from the line with five rebounds leading three players in double figures. Junior
Drew Mills finished with 23 points on team-high 11 of 13 from the field and one triple, along with a team-high six rebounds and senior
Carlos Hart chipped in 13 points on 3 of 8 from the field and a team-best 7 of 8 from the line.
VSU shot 45.3 percent for the game on 34 of 75 from the field, while it was 6 of 27 from beyond the arc and a solid 20 of 23 from the line. MG had 17 points from Trashawn Wilson and 15 rebounds, while Nick Cham added 12 points for the Knights. MG was 30 of 70 from the field, while it was 7 of 23 from distance and 8 of 16 from the line. The Knights held a 42-34 lead in rebounding, but the Blazers forced 24 turnovers holding a 31-17 advantage in points off miscues as VSU turned it over just ten times.
The Blazers raced out to an 8-4 lead through the first two minutes of the game highlighted by four early points from Mills. From there, Middle Georgia used a 20-2 run over the next five minutes for a 24-10 lead with 13:09 to play in the first half. Two free throws from senior
Carlos Hart pulled VSU within a dozen at 24-12 with 12:54 to go in the first half.
A triple from Mills pulled VSU within 27-15 at the 11:59 mark was the first field goal for the Blazers since Hart buried a jumper just 2:49 into the game. Senior
Cobey Harraway buried one from deep pulling the red and black to within 11 at 29-18 with 10:53 to play. Hart then scored for his seventh point trimming the deficit to 29-20 with a layup. The run continued with a jumper from junior
LaDarrius Chigano and a layup from senior
Braxton Williams for a 29-24 deficit and a 14-5 run with 8:40 to play in the half.
Two free throws from junior
Tony Green Jr. and an emphatic alley-oop for Green pulled VSU within one at 31-30 with 6:40 left in the half. VSU kept chipping away and again pulled within one at 39-38 on a floating jumper from
Lucas Brown Jr. for a 39-38 deficit with 3:41 to play in the half. Williams gave VSU its first lead since 10-8 with two free throws for a 40-39 lead and 2:57 remaining in the half.
A turnover on the Knights led to a triple from Brown with an assist to Williams for VSU's largest lead of the game to that point at 43-39. Williams then dialed long distance for a 46-41 score, but two quick buckets from MGSU followed pulling the Knights within 46-45. From there it was all Blazers in the final minute as Mills scored a layup and then hit a jumper with 28 seconds left, while junior
MJ Jones scored as time expired in the half for a 52-45 lead at intermission.
VSU shot 46.2 percent for the half on 18 of 39 from the field, while it was 4 of 11 from distance and 12 of 13 from the line. The Knights shot 20 of 30 from the field for 62.5 percent and were 3 of 10 from distance, while going 2 of 2 from the line. Mills paced VSU with 11 points on 5 of 6 from the field and one triple, while Williams had ten points.
The Blazers took command of the game in the second half, beginning with a triple from Williams for his 13
th point of the game as VSU opened the half on an 18-2 run for a 70-47 lead with 14:09 to play. The Knights pulled back within ten at 78-68 with 5:51 to play on a layup off an offensive rebound by Trashawn Williams for his 17
th point of the game.
Quickly the Blazers stretched the lead to 86-68 with a pair of layups from Mills and a bucket from Hart with 4:35 to play.
VSU makes its first road trip of the season as it looks for a bit of revenge on Thursday evening at Morehouse College at 7 p.m. in Atlanta, Ga. Morehouse edged the Blazers 84-80 last Tuesday in Valdosta. The Blazers then host Thomas University on Tuesday, Nov. 26, before the Thanksgiving Holiday at 7:30 p.m. Following Thanksgiving, VSU will be on the road to open Gulf South Conference play, before hosting three games prior to the Christmas holiday beginning Dec. 15.
