CLEVELAND, Miss. – The No. 25 Valdosta State Blazers reached the century mark for the fourth time this season and completed the road trip sweep with a 100-92 victory over the Delta State Statesmen on Saturday evening. Valdosta State has now won five in a row and improved to 11-2 (6-1 GSC) while Delta State dropped to 6-8 (2-6 GSC).
 
Despite a combined 51 points from DSU's Chris Terrell and Keithean Brooks, VSU was able to scrape by with a big victory thanks to a combined team effort as four of the five starters scored 12 or more points on the night. Senior Carlos Hart led the way with 23 points on 7-14 from the field and an efficient 9-10 from the charity stripe. Hart was aggressive on the defensive end, as he poked away five steals and blocked one shot. Braxton Williams tallied his first double-double of his career with 14 points and ten rebounds while he had three steals and block.
 
As a team, VSU shot 37-80 from the field for a .463 clip and was 10-24 from distance for a .417 clip. The Blazers attacked the glass with 45 total rebounds for a +11 margin and hauled in a season-high 18 on the offensive glass. Ranked second in the country in fastbreak points coming into tonight, Valdosta State scored another 31 points in transition tonight on 18 forced turnovers.
 
Valdosta State jumped to second in the GSC standings with a loss from Montevallo, as they are now 1.5 games back from No. 6 ranked Alabama Huntsville who are 13-1 overall and 8-0 in GSC play.
 
In a game that was tied 12 times and had 11 lead changes, Delta State was the first team in the scoring column with a deep three pointer from Kolby Harris on the left wing to put the Statesmen up 3-0. Valdosta State responded with four quick points on a basket inside from Carlos Hart and Cobey Harraway to jump out to a 4-3 lead. A triple from the GSC's leading scorer Chris Terrell had things all square at six heading into the first media timeout.
 
Junior LaDarrius Chigano came out of the timeout with a mean rejection to keep the paint clear for the Blazers. The Statesmen were wise and continued to shoot threes, as they were 5-10 from distance to start as they jumped out to a 15-14 lead that was cut into by a tip-in layup from junior Drew Mills to send VSU into the media timeout down one with 11:39 left in the first half.
 
A layup from Harraway gave Valdosta State the lead again that was quickly diminished by a two-point jumper from Chris Terrell. Teams were trading baskets until back to back three pointers from DSU's Keithean Brooks grew the lead to two that was quickly nullified by a layup Drew Mills on yet another second chance basket for VSU. Things were all square at 27 with 7:28 remaining in the first half.
 
Delta State came out of the break with a press of their own that proved to give Valdosta State fits as they came out with a 11-2 run on 6-6 shooting that was cut into by a layup from Drew Mills and a strip and score from junior MJ Jones as VSU trailed 38-33 with 4:00 left in the first half. DSU's ninth triple of the first half brough the lead back to eight until a layup from Hart and a triple from Jones on the left wing made it a three-point game all of a sudden.
 
Senior Braxton Williams entered the scoring column with a three ball and a layup to take a 43-41 lead with 1:05 left as the Blazers were on a 10-0 run. The Statesmen tied things up at 43 with 43 seconds remaining on a tough step back jumper to send us to halftime all square 43-43.
 
VSU's Carlos Hart and DSU's Chris Terrell had 13 points apiece as the two were battling. Valdosta State shot 18-44 from the field in the first half for a 41% clip while Delta State was 16-31 for a 52% clip. The Blazers were dominant on the glass with 24 total rebounds while 11 of those came from the offensive end that resulted in nine second chance points. The Statesmen were hot from distance, as they shot 9-19 for a 47% clip while they also tallied six steals to the Blazers four.
 
Following a stop on the defensive end, Carlos Hart picked up right where he left off with a left handed layup to give VSU a 45-43 lead to open half number two. DSU's Chris Terrell came right back with a bucket of his own to tie things up at 45. Things were all tied again for the ninth time at 50-50 on a right handed floater from Braxton Williams with 17:08 left in the game. Fresh off the bench, junior Peter McKey hit a tear drop shot on the left elbow as things were all square at 52. Valdosta State was able to jump out to a 55-54 lead heading into the first media timeout of the second half on a triple from junior Lucas Brown Jr. in the left corner.
 
Peter McKey came out the break on fire with a triple from the left wing to grow the lead to four. Following a layup on the other end, junior Maalik Leitch wanting in on the three party with a triple of his own as VSU now led 61-56 with just over 14 minutes left. Delta State was quick to respond with a three of their own to cut the Valdosta State lead to two. Another triple from the lefty Leitch on a step-back jumper elevated the lead to three as VSU led 64-61 with 12:40 remaining in the second half.
 
Following a technical foul from VSU's LaDarrius Chigano, DSU's Brendan Braddix clanked a pair of free throws to keep the Valdosta State lead at three. The Blazers got their biggest lead of the night at seven on a pair of free throws followed by a layup from Brown Jr. as VSU led 70-63 with just over 11 minutes remaining. Delta State quickly came back with a 7-0 run to tie things up at 70. Two more free throws from Lucas Brown Jr. re gave the Blazers the lead with 9:47 left on the clock. The Blazers were able to grow the lead to six on free throws from Hart as VSU led DSU 79-73 heading into the under-eight media break.
 
After a pair of free throws from Delta State out of the timeout, Drew Mills caught a back scratching lob from an under the basket play to silence the Delta State crowd.  VSU held DSU to no field goals for nearly three and a half minutes as Valdosta State was leading 85-77 with 5:32 left on the clock. Delta State's Chris Terrell did what he does best with a triple to cut the deficit to five, Valdosta State leading 85-80.
 
Out of a Statesmen timeout, they were able to get it to a three point ballgame following by a fastbreak layup. Following a missed Delta State three, MJ Jones drilled a triple at the top of the key to bring the lead back to six with 4:46 left.
 
 
Coming out of the final media timeout, Braxton Williams was cleared for takeoff on a right handed jam on the assist from Tony Green Jr. to grow the lead to eight. The Blazer defense started to clamp up as they were forcing turnovers that resulted in a pair of free throws from Carlos Hart, as he knocked home both to grow the lead to ten with 1:41 remaining.
 
DSU wouldn't go away, as they converted on an and-one to cut the lead to six with 1:22 left with VSU leading 94-88. Delta State was able to force a turnover, but a great contest led to a missed layup from Chris Terrell with 46 ticks remaining on the clock. Hart Drilled a pair of free throws that all but sealed the win as the Blazers came out on top 100-92.
 
Valdosta State returns home to host Union on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. followed by Christian Brothers on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m.