VALDOSTA, Ga. (VALDOSTA STATE ATHLETICS) — The Valdosta State men's basketball team dropped a 67-58 Gulf South Conference contest Thursday evening to visiting Lee University at The Complex. VSU fell to 11-13 overall and 7-10 in GSC play, while Lee improved to 14-8 overall and 10-6 in league play.
VSU had a team-high 12 points off the bench from redshirt junior Cam Hamilton, while juniors Jacolbey Owens and Michael Cole each added 11 points and junior Mohamed Fofana had a team-high ten rebounds along with nine points. The Blazers shot 20 of 57 from the field for 35.1%, while they were 6 of 25 from deep and 12 of 20 from the line.
Lee was led by 15 points from Jayce Willingham, while Quay Kennedy added 14 points and nine rebounds and Michael McGuirk added 11 points and eight rebounds. The Flames shot 43.9 percent for the game on 25 of 57 from the floor, while they drained five triples and were 12 of 17 from the line. Lee held a 42-35 lead in rebounding for the game.
The Blazers opened the game with Cole scoring the first two buckets – one on a dunk and the other on a layup for a 4-0 lead with 18:08 left in the first half. Lee got on the board and pulled within 9-8 on a Willingham turnaround jumper with 14:05 left, but buckets from Owens and freshman Ricky Brown pushed the lead to 14-10 in favor of the red and black.
Two free throws from Willingham gave Lee its first lead of the game at 19-18 with 8:11 left in the first half. Both teams opened the game with seven made field goals to that point as VSU was 7 of 15 from the floor and Lee was 7 of 22. VSU was 1 of 4 from deep, while the Flames were 0 of 4. VSU had six early turnovers as Lee held a 7-2 lead in points off turnovers to that point.
Hamilton buried one from deep for a 21-19 lead, but Willingham tied the game at 21 with two more at the line and triples from PJay Smith and Makhi McGuire, followed by a steal and dunk from Kennedy gave Lee a 29-21 lead and a 10-0 run with 4:42 to play in the half. After a timeout by VSU, Kennedy extended the run to 13-0 with a trey and a 32-21 score with 4:06 left in the half.
A dunk from junior Maurice Gordon ended the run with 1:58 left in the half, but Lee scored on the ensuing possession to go back up 11 at 34-23. Owens forced a steal and nailed a triple at the buzzer, pulling VSU within 34-27 at the break.
The Blazers went 10 of 28 from the field for the half, but were just 3 of 13 over the final 8:11, while Lee finished 12 of 32 from the field for the half and went 5 of 10 from the field over the final eight minutes and change. Both teams buried three treys in the half, while Lee was 7 of 8 from the line, VSU was 4 of 7 from the stripe. The half had three ties and three lead changes. Kennedy and Willingham each had eight points for Lee, while Owens had eight points and five rebounds for VSU.
Triples from Fofana and sophomore Cam Selders pulled VSU within 41-33 with 16:36 remaining in the second half. Out of a media timeout, VSU pulled within five on a layup from Fofana for a 43-38 deficit and 15:14 left as Fofana earned the and-one.
A steal from Beyuan Hendricks and score from Willingham pushed the Lee lead to 48-40 with 12:25 remaining in the second half. Hamilton drained his second trifecta of the game, pulling VSU back within five at 48-43 with 11:23 remaining in the contest. Lee would stretch the lead back out to nine, but VSU continued to pull back within five, only to see Lee push the lead back out on each run by the Blazers.
Owens kept VSU within striking distance with a jumper and a 62-54 deficit with 2:37 left, but an offensive foul on the Blazers gave the ball back to Lee with just over two minutes remaining. Kennedy scored inside, followed by a jumper from Cole, brining VSU back within eight at 64-56 and 100 seconds left. Lee iced the game at the free throw line in the final minute for the victory.
The Blazers close out the 2021-22 home slate Saturday at 4 p.m. at The Complex versus Shorter.
