VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Lee University men's basketball team pulled away in the second half to secure an 88-74 Gulf South Conference victory at Valdosta State University Tuesday evening. The win was the sixth-straight for the Flames and improved their record to 8-3 overall and 3-1 in the GSC.
"Gutsy performance by our team this weekend and tonight," said Lee head coach Bubba Smith. "Our team has been through a lot this fall and it's developed some toughness you need to win on the road."
Valdosta State (7-3, 2-2 GSC) held a 40-39 lead at the halftime break and led by eight (67-59) with just over 10 minutes remaining in the second half. The Flames went on a 10-2 run over the next three minutes to tie the score at 69-69 on a Jason Landman layup.
A 3-pointer and layup by Ryan Montgomery pushed Lee ahead by five. VSU would trim the Lee lead back to two with an old-fashioned three-point play by Bryce Smith. That was be the closest the home team would get the rest of the way as the Flames outscored the Blazers 14-2 over the final 4:32.
"I thought we withstood a run and, with seven to go, we made some defensive adjustments and our guys played with a ton of heart and effort down the stretch. We also made some big and timely shots in that stretch that sealed the game," added Smith."
Montgomery tallied 14 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half. The senior added nine rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Four other Lee players finished in double-digit scoring. Parker Suedekum threw in 15 points and Quay Kennedy had 14, while Kentrell Evans and Landman supplied 13 points each.
Both teams made the same number of shots in the second half as they did in the first half. The Flames made 16 field goals in each period but had 10 fewer attempts in the final 20 minutes. VSU connected on 14 shots each half, while taking four more shots in the second half than they did in the first. Lee held a decisive advantage from behind the arc. The Flames were 11-for-24 (.458), while VSU was 5-for-23 (.217).
The Flames edged Valdosta State 43-41 in the rebounding battle. Kennedy and Michael McGuirk pulled down seen boards each. Darrell Jones and Clay Guillozet were the rebounding leaders for VSU. Jones tallied 12 boards to go with 15 points and Guillozet completed his double-double with 11 rebounds and 14 points.
The Blazers turned 13 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points. The Flames posted 11 second-chance points from 10 offensive boards.
Lee turned the ball over 12 times compared to 14 by the Blazers. The Flames edged Valdosta State 13-11 in points off turnovers.
The Flames return to Paul Dana Walker Arena on Saturday, December 21, to battle Christian Brothers University in their final game before the semester break. The GSC contest is scheduled for 4 p.m.
