VALDOSTA, Ga. — Cold shooting sank Valdosta State Blazers (8-3, 3-2 GSC) against No. 24 Alabama-Huntsville (8-3, 4-1 GSC) 82-72 on Monday night.

The Blazers entered the game leading the Gulf South Conference in field goal, 3-point and free throw percentage, but failed to produce their usual magic against the Chargers.

After carrying a 41-32 lead into the locker room at halftime, the Blazers shot a frigid 29.7 percent from the floor. UAH responded by shooting a red-hot 58.1 percent due in large part to numerous defensive breakdowns by VSU.

“I thought our guys got decent looks at the basket,’ Blazers head coach Mike Helfer said. “We got some point blank layups and some wide open threes—we just didn’t make them. That’s going to happen in basketball from time to time. We didn’t make those shots and they did. That was really the difference in the game.”

UAH point guard Troy Saxton led the Chargers with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, Brandon Roberts added 17 for the Chargers who handed the Blazers their first home loss of the season.

Beau Justice’s layup with 8:06 to go in the game was the last field goal for the Blazers until Josh Lemons’ dunk after picking the pocket of UAH forward Seab Webster in the backcourt with 4:05 remaining in regulation.

During the Blazers’ field goal drought, the Chargers built their biggest lead of the game at 73-62 on a layup by guard Chayse Elliott.

“Everybody felt it was just a struggle to score tonight,” Helfer said. “Usually, it’s not for us. We couldn’t find any rhythm really in any area. It just felt like the whole second half was just difficult to find the ability to score.”

The Chargers’ offense flummoxed the Blazers in the second half as they shot 58.1 percent from the floor after intermission. Frustrated by their inability to score, the Blazers’ defensive focus suffered despite the high level of intensity they showed throughout.

Justice, who scored 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting, believes the cold shooting and defensive lapses went hand-in-hand.

“I really think our defensive intensity was good starting off,” Justice said. “We’re the type of team that feeds off both ends of the floor. When our offense is going, our defense is going. When our defense is going, our offense is going. So when one of those fall down, we get lackluster on another end. You’ve got to keep your composure against a really good team. They’ve all played that system and they all know no matter how much they’re down, they’re going to come back. They got down 14 and just kept pushing. I think we got a little tired and when we missed a couple shots, we got indecisive and they got on a roll and made big threes.”

The Blazers held a halftime lead despite shooting 44.1 percent in the frame. Conversely, the execution of the Chargers allowed them to shoot 50 percent and keep pace after falling down by 14 points with 2:01 left in the first half. The inside play of big men Justin Simon and Carlos Beverly. Simon had eight points and four rebounds while Beverly added six points and six rebounds. 

The Chargers were able to keep pace with a 5-of-5 shooting half by Saxton and eight points from forward Seab Webster, who fouled out but finished with 11 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.

Jeremiah Hill led the Blazers with 15 points, but needed 15 shots to get there as he went 5-of-15 on the night. Justin Simon added 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes.

“We’re going to turn the page right away,” Helfer said about the loss. “We’ve got to get on the road. This is a long season in terms of the conference because you’ve got 22 games. We’ve got to turn the page and play three really difficult games in a row on the road and if we let one game carry into the next, we’re going to end up losing a bunch of games. That won’t happen—We’re going to have to turn the page quick.”

VSU women 76

UAH 66

The Valdosta State women (7-4, 4-1 GSC) overcame an icy shooting start of their own to down the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers (1-9, 0-5 GSC) 76-66 Monday night.

The Blazers outscored the Chargers 48-32 in the second half behind 53.6 percent shooting from the floor. Aaliyah Cheatham caught fire in the second half, scoring 18 of her game-high 23 points after intermission.

The sophomore guard made consecutive triples to give the Lady Blazers a 66-57 lead with 3:22 left in the game and the Chargers would not threaten the rest of the way.

“I kept my head into it,” Cheatham said of her performance. “I was trying to see what we should do best to win the game. I knew I had to put the team on my back for us to win. They’re a good team but we still had to keep our composure.”

The Blazers trailed by as many as ten points in the first half, shooting just 25 percent. After intermission, the Blazers’ defense seized momentum just in time for their offense to join the party.

Guards Jasmyn McIntosh and Sonya Franklin used aggressive ball pressure to force the Chargers into turnovers. Macintosh scored only four points in the game but snagged six rebounds and five steals in 30 minutes.

Blazers head coach Carley Kuhns credited McIntosh’s defensive play for allowing her team to climb back.

“(McIntosh) won’t be the one that stands out in the stats but the plays she made were difference-makers and game-changers for us. They absolutely gave us momentum for that win.”

Kuhns was also pleased with the play of forwards Kenya Samone Dixon and Madi Mitchell. Dixon and Mitchell combined for 35 points and 24 rebounds to power the Blazers to not only comeback, but to maintain control of their lead.

“They’ve been double-double machines,” Kuhns said. “It’s effort and it’s a will and a choice that they’re making to play their butts off every possession. They’ve been given a tough test because teams are doubling, tripling, clogging the lane and they’re willing their way to the rim. They’re putting the team on their backs right now and taking us forward.”

Valdosta State’s men and women travel to Cleveland, Tennessee to take on Lee on Saturday.

Shane Thomas is a sports reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times.