VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men’s basketball team celebrated Senior Day with an offensive onslaught, using points from 11 different players to clinch a Gulf South Conference Tournament bid with a dominant 90-59 over the Christian Brothers Bucs on Saturday afternoon at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga.
The Blazers (15-9, 11-8 GSC) started things off with a pair of Josh Lemons free throws to claim an early lead, before Christian Brothers’ (11-14, 9-10 GSC) Jordan Miller evened it up with a layup. The contest remained tight throughout the next six minutes before Chris Bilbo buried a three ball to give VSU a 10-8 lead that would increase to a 50-28 margin by halftime.
Valdosta State outscored the Bucs yet again in the second half with 40 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the field, which resulted in an overall shooting effort of 53.6 percent on the night and led to CBU’s largest margin of defeat of the current season.
The four seniors of the team, who were each recognized and presented with gifts from the team prior to the contest, all contributed to the victory. Jay Watkins led the way with 12 points and five rebounds, Chris Bilbo added eight points and four assists, Chris Longoria hauled in eight rebounds and scored seven points, and Justice chipped in with seven points as well.
The top performer on the night for Valdosta State was Jacob Obande, who was red hot throughout the contest and finished 5-of-7 from the field with two threes and a free throw. His 13 points led the way for a Blazer offense that saw 11 players score three points or more on the night.
In addition, The Valdosta State defense held the Bucs to just 3-of-17 from beyond the arc and forced their opponent to shoot below 40 percent for just the second time this season.
The Blazers return to action next week on Thursday, as GSC play continues against the Tigers of West Alabama at 8:30 p.m. EST. Stay tuned to www.vstateblazers.com for full coverage.
Also, as the postseason rapidly approaches, Blazer basketball fans are encouraged to join Head Coach Mike Helfer on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. for the Mike Helfer Radio Show, which takes place each week at Dick’s Wings and Grill.
