VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — A quick 10-2 start by Valdosta State led to an 86-66 victory over visiting Christian Brothers Tuesday evening at The Complex. The Blazers were led by senior Jacolbey Owens leading three players in double figures with a game-high 23 points, while senior Cam Hamilton added 15 points and graduate student Ryan Black chipped in 14.
Owens went 8 of 13 from the field, 5 of 9 from deep, while making two free throws. He finished with four rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Hamilton was 5 of 10 from the field, 3 of 8 from downtown and 2 of 3 from the line. He finished with five assists and three steals as Hamilton now needs just four steals for the VSU record for steals in a career set by Marlon Jones (1982-87) with 176. As a team Tuesday, the Blazers shot 32 of 62 from the field for a 51.6 average, while they were 13 of 34 from beyond the arc and 9 of 16 from the line.
Christian Brothers (1-8, 1-5 GSC) was led by 20 points from Daniel Loos on 10 of 13 from the field with four rebounds. Aiden Ruthsatz finished with 12 points as did Charlie Champagne. Madison Monroe just missed a double-double with nine points and ten rebounds. The Bucs shot 28 of 57 from the field for 49.1 percent, while they were 5 of 15 from beyond the arc and 5 of 7 from the line.
VSU, who snapped a three-game skid with the victory and improved to 7-5 overall and a 4-3 mark in GSC play, scored the first eight points of the contest with five by junior Jay Rucker and a triple from Owens. Owens then put up his second and third triples of the game for a 24-11 lead with 11:26 left in the first half. Later, Hamilton drained one from downtown for a 37-19 lead and 5:20 remaining in the half. An "and one" for Ruthsatz pulled CBU within 37-22 with 3:48 to play as VSU went on for the 50-30 lead at the break.
Coming out of intermission, sophomore Caden Boser and Owens each buried 3's in the first minute for a 56-30 lead and 19:08 to play. Later, Loos scored inside for a 58-39 margin, but Owens had another trey for a 61-39 score and 11:36 to go. Black nailed his fourth trey and 11th of the game for the Blazers for a 66-46 lead and 9:39 to play.
Ruthsatz became the second Buccaneer in double figures, behind Loos' 14 to that point, with a 3-pointer for a 72-53 score and 6:13 left. He then had a steal leading to a bucket for Garmany Slate and a timeout by VSU with 5:31 to play and a 72-55 score. VSU went on for the
The Blazers continue the busy week with a non-conference game on Thursday at 7 p.m. at The Complex versus Palm Beach Atlantic (4-4) and then travel to West Florida for a Sunday matchup with the Argos at 5 p.m. ET., prior to the Christmas break. Following Christmas, the Blazers will be on the road for a pair of games for the New Year's holiday, before returning home to host Alabama Huntsville on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m., and West Alabama on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 4 p.m., at The Complex.
