CARROLLTON, Ga. - The West Georgia Wolves went toe-to-toe on Thursday evening with one of the top offensive teams in the nation, but in the end, it was the Valdosta State Blazers that came out on top, winning 98-93 at The Coliseum.
The second half was nearly everything a fan could enjoy with an uptempo game, as the two teams combined for 108 points, hitting 39 baskets in the process. The Blazers shot 55 percent from the field in that period to the Wolves' 44 percent to take the victory.
West Georgia was hot out of the gate with junior guard
Oronte' Anderson fueling an early 12-4 lead as the large student contingent roared with approval in the rivalry game. Valdosta State pushed back over the next five minutes of the contest, cutting the UWG lead to 18-17 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Wolves pushed the lead back out to as much as seven over the final 10 minutes of the period before VSU began to cut back into the lead.
In the last three minutes of the half, the two teams were battling shot-for-shot, with West Georgia maintaining no more than a one shot lead at any given point. With the Wolves leading 40-39 in the final seconds of the period, Valdosta's Demarcus Addie buried a three-pointer, giving the Blazers their first lead of the game at 42-40 heading into the locker room at the break.
The second half produced a see-saw battle, with neither team leading by more than five points in the period. There were multiple ties and lead changes as the two teams slugged it out offensively over the final 20 minutes. The difference in the game came with 2:12 left in the contest as a layup from Darrell Jones of VSU tied the game at 88 and sparked a 7-0 run for the Blazers. The Wolves couldn't overcome that deficit as Valdosta State escaped The Coliseum with a victory.
Four Wolves scored in double-figures in the game, led by a career night for Anderson, who had a game-high 24 points, nine assists, and six rebounds to lead the way.
Seth Brown-Carter also had a 20-point night, hitting for 22 and six rebounds.
Kovi Tate picked up his ninth double-double of the year with 18 points and 11 boards while
Greg James had his best night of the year, hitting four three-pointers en route to 14 points in the game.
West Georgia will be back in action on Saturday afternoon at The Coliseum, taking on the West Florida Argonauts at 4 p.m. after a 2 p.m. women's game between the Wolves and Argos. The loss drops West Georgia to 4-11 on the year and 2-5 in Gulf South Conference play while the Blazers move to 13-3 overall and 7-2 in league play.
