VALDOSTA, Ga. –  The Valdosta State men's basketball team improved to 13-8 overall and 8-7 in Gulf South Conference play with a hard-fought 79-73 victory over Lee University on Thursday evening at The Complex.  The game saw three ties and eight lead changes. 

VSU was led by four players in double figures as junior Blaise Wallace and senior Drew Mills each had 17 points.  Wallace finished with his tenth double-double of the season pulling down ten rebounds.  Mills who earned GSC Player of the Week honors, finished 5 of 18 from the field, but was 7 of 8 from the line, while Wallace was 6 of 13 from the field and 5 of 6 from the stripe.

As a team, the Blazers shot 26 of 63 from the field, while they were 3 of 15 from deep, but made up for it going 24 of 29 from the stripe.  VSU held a 16-10 advantage in points off turnovers, while leading 46-44 in points in the paint. 

Lee (10-10, 7-9 GSC) was led by 18 points off the bench from Ben Ritger who was 7 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 from distance, while Willie Walton had 17 points and 14 rebounds.  The Flames shot 51.7 percent for the game on 31 of 60 from field, while they were 9 of 24 from deep and just 2 of 6 from the line.

The Flames used a 7-0 run for a 16-8 lead with 12:46 left in the first half and a triple from Walton later pushed the lead to ten at 26-16 with 9:07 remaining in the half.  Lee would lead by as many as 13 in the first half at 33-20, but the Blazers came roaring back over the final 7:32 of the half, outscoring the Flames 19-3 for a 39-36 lead at the break. 

Despite not shooting well from the field, VSU was 10 of 11 from the line in the first half.  VSU was 14 of 38 from the field for the first 20 minutes and just 1 of 10 from distance, while Lee was 15 of 29 from the field and 5 of 14 from beyond the arc. 

The momentum continued for the Blazers early in the second half as they stretched the lead to 50-40 with 15:40 to play on an "and one" for Wallace.  Since the 13-point deficit in the first half, VSU outscored the Flames 30-7. 

Lee returned the favor erasing the deficit over the next six minutes and change and took the lead at 58-57 with 9:18 to play.  The game remained tight the rest of the way as Ritger hit a 3-pointer to give the Flames at 69-68 lead with 2:04 to play, but VSU's Tony Green Jr. hit a huge triple with 1:49 to play giving VSU the lead back and a timeout by Lee at 71-69.  Green then came up with a huge rebound with 1:07 to play on a Ritger miss. 

Mills made two free throws then came up with a huge steal as the Flames had to foul with 32 seconds left.  Mills, once again, was calm at the line and made one of two free throws for a 74-69 lead with 32 seconds remaining.  Senior MJ Jones came up with a big rebound on a missed 3-pointer by Lee and made one of two free throws after he was fouled for a 75-69 score with 21 seconds to play.

Lee's Zach Gray scored for his 15th point of the game cutting the Blazer lead to 75-71 with 12 seconds remaining.  Following a timeout, the Flames immediately fouled as Jones made both free throws for a 77-71 score.  VSU went on for the 79-73 victory. 

The Blazers close out the homestand Saturday at 4 p.m. versus Trevecca Nazarene at The Complex.