Carrollton, GA - The West Georgia Wolves return home for the first time since November, and the biggest basketball game of the year is on deck, with the Wolves playing host at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon to the Valdosta State Blazers.
UWG vs. Valdosta State
One of the biggest rivalries in the Gulf South Conference renews on Saturday afternoon in one of the games that is always the most anticipated of the season for the West Georgia Wolves, as the Valdosta State Blazers come to town. The two teams have met 121 times in the history of the series, with VSU holding a 67-54 lead in the series. The last time the Wolves and Blazers met was in the spring in Valdosta, with the Blazers opening up an offensive explosion on a tough night for UWG with an 88-55 victory. VSU is on a three-game winning streak in the series, with the last win for UWG coming in the 2012-13 season in Carrollton, ironically on January 10 of that season.
UWG Breakdown
The Wolves have just completed a tough stretch of schedule where they have been on the road essentially since November. West Georgia played four straight in The Coliseum before going through a string of seven games in eight on the road. In that eight-game span, UWG went 5-3, winning three straight before splitting the past six. That includes a 109-92 loss to Shorter on Monday evening in Rome, GA.
VSU Breakdown
The Blazers come into Saturday's matchup in a bit of a rut, having lost three-straight, including the last two at The Complex in Valdosta. In fact, the last five games have been backwards to what is traditional in the GSC, as the Blazers lost to Shorter at home before beating Delta State on the road. VSU then lost to Mississippi College on the road, then lost in double-overtime to Christian Brothers followed by a loss to Union this past Monday in Valdosta.
Matchup to Watch
Division II sports have tons of Division I transfers on rosters throughout the nation, but Saturday's game will be an interesting battle of former Zips between UWG guard
Alex Abreu and VSU guard Blake Justice. Both played at Division I Akron, as this will be one of the first times that former Division I teammates will meet on the floor in a Division II battle at the University of West Georgia.
