VALDOSTA, Ga. – A hot-shooting Montevallo squad in the second half upset the No. 9-ranked Valdosta State men's basketball team on Senior Day at The Complex. Valdosta State dropped to 23-5 overall and 18-4 in the GSC while Montevallo improved to 19-9 overall and 15-7 in GSC play as the Falcons secured the #3-seed for the GSC Tournament next week with them hosting #6-seed West Alabama.
The Blazers and Falcons split the season series as each team won on the road in hostile environments.
MJ Jones scored a season high 22 points as he finished 8-13 from the field and 6-9 from three as he started his night a perfect 5-5 from long range.
Carlos Hart put up 15 points on 9-10 from the line as he recorded a single steal that tied Patrick Diop for most steals in a season by an individual in VSU history. Jaylen Curry led the way in scoring as the Falcon forward shot 8-15 from the floor and 3-7 from deep while he also hauled in six rebounds. Brandon Fussell had an all-around game as the sophomore scored 19 points while dishing out seven assists and tallying five steals. As a team, Valdosta State shot 30-73 from the floor for a .411 clip which was their second worst mark of the season. Montevallo was effective as they were 36-67 from the floor for a .537 clip. Both teams got to the line a lot as VSU was 19-25 from the stripe while UM was 21-24 for a .875 clip.
The teams played a tightly contested battle early with VSU holding a 15-13 lead with 14:01 to play as both teams opened a combined 9 of 17 from the field. VSU was 3 of 6 from distance early and 2 of 3 from the line, while UM was 5 of 6 from the stripe. A triple from UM's Jaylen Curry and a bucket from Brandon Fussell gave the Falcons their first lead of the game at 18-17 with 12:17 to play in the opening half and a timeout by the Blazers.
A bucket from senior
Cobey Harraway and a triple from senior
Braxton Williams out of the timeout gave VSU a 22-18 lead with 11:30 to play in the half. VSU's
MJ Jones hit the fifth triple of the game for a 25-23 VSU lead with just over ten minutes to play in the half. Following a bucket from UM, Jones drained his second triple and a 28-25 lead. Jones continued the hot hand with a jumper for a 30-25 lead with 8:40 to play in the half.
Out of the eight-minute timeout, Jones pushed the VSU lead to five at 33-27 with his third triple. Jones was unconscious as he hit his fourth long one for a 36-27 lead. He then made it five for five for a 39-29 lead with 5:58 to play in the first half and his 17
th point of the half.
Two free throws from Brandon Fussell and a triple from Curry trimmed the VSU lead to 43-36 and then following a miss from VSU, Fussell hit a jumper for a 43-38 score with 2:38 remaining in the opening half. UM continued to heat up from range as Camden Andrews drained one from long range and then Curry hit another triple for a 45-44 score with 1:18 to play and a 15-6 run. UM extended the run with a Curry layup off an offensive rebound giving UM its first lead of the game at 47-45 on the "and one" with 54 seconds left in the first half. Fussell hit two free throws for a 49-45 lead through the first half as the Falcons extended the run to 20-6 since the 5:58 mark.
For the half, VSU shot 16 of 36 from the field for 44.4 percent, while it was 9 of 21 from distance and 4 of 5 from the line. UM was 16 of 31 from the field for 51.6 percent, while the Falcons were 4 of 10 from deep and was 13 of 14 from the line for the major difference in the half. Jones was 6 of 7 from the field for the Blazers and 5 of 5 from deep for 17 points, while Curry also had 17 points for UM on 5 of 7 from the field, 3 of 3 from deep and 4 of 4 from the line.
Curry scored the first bucket of the second half, extending the run to 22-6 and then scored for his 21
st point and a 53-45 score with 19:10 to play. Blazer junior
Drew Mills hit a pair of buckets and a dunk from Curry followed, but Mills responded with a triple for a 57-55 deficit. Following an offensive rebound from Fussell, he called his own number for a triple and a 60-55 Falcon lead with 15:53 to play.
Out of a media timeout, Jay Gillispie scored his first two points for a 62-55 score with 15:17 remaining in the second half. Curry made two free throws for a 64-55 score and the largest of the game for the Falcons. The teams matched score-for-score as Montevallo kept the Blazers at arm's length with a 69-57 lead with 13:28 to play. Following a rebound Gillespie buried a triple for a 72-57 UM lead.
Harraway pulled VSU within 72-61 with 12:23 to play with a bucket and a pair of free throws for 11 points in the game. The teams kept trading buckets as VSU would not able to cut into the deficit over the next three minutes and change with UM leading 83-70 and 8:26 to play.
Two free throws from Hart, cut the deficit to 11, but Gillespie answered at the other end with a dagger triple and an 88-74 score with 5:43 to play. Senior
Braxton Williams scored giving VSU its first field goal since Williams hit a driving layup with 7:42 to play, for a 92-78 deficit and 4:52 remaining.
Montevallo heated up to 54.8 percent in the second half making 17 of its first 31 the field, while VSU cooled off to just 12 of 32 from the field for 37.5 percent, while the Blazers were just 3 of 13 from deep in the final stanza with 3:57 to play and UM leading 93-78.
The Blazers kept fighting and pulled within 95-84 with 2:39 to play on a pair of charity tosses from Hart. Williams gave the Blazers a chance with a triple for a 95-87 score with two minutes to play. A steal from Hart and foul on the Falcons gave Hart two more free throws pulling the Blazers within 95-89 with 1:46 to play. Two free throws by UM pushed the lead to eight at 97-89, but Mills scored one free throw at the other end. Gillespie scored for a 99-90 lead with 1:09 to go. Montevallo won 101-92.
VSU earned the No. 2-seed the upcoming Truist Gulf South Conference Basketball Championship and will host No. 7-seed Union on Tuesday, Mar. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at The Complex. Tickets are on sale now for the game in the VSU Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 229-333-SEAT (7328).
