MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo men's basketball is set to take on second-seeded Valdosta State on Saturday night for a trip to the Gulf South Conference Championship game.  
 
So Far This Season…
Montevallo enters its first GSC semifinal in 17 years with a 20-9 overall record after finishing the regular season with a 15-7 conference record. Montevallo earned its No. 3 seed in the GSC tournament after a 101-92 win over the nationally ranked Blazers in the regular season finale on March 1 in Valdosta, Ga. The Falcons' win over VSU was the first ranked win for Montevallo since a 72-69 win over No. 3 West Georgia back on Dec. 15, 2023. The Falcons' advanced to the second round of the tournament after topping sixth-seeded West Alabama in a 67-60 battle on the bricks on Tuesday night. Montevallo's historic season has featured the most GSC wins in a single season in school history at 15 wins while winning a total of 20 games, the most since the 2014-15 season when Montevallo tallied 26 victories.
 
Montevallo ranks fifth in the GSC with an average of 79.8 points per game on a league third-best 47.0-percent shooting and a 33.5-percent clip from long range. On the glass, the Falcons average 34.8 rebounds per game with an average of 11.1 offensive rebounds per contest. Montevallo also tallies 12.31 assists per game while recording 7.97 steals per game. Defensively, Montevallo allows 76.0 points per game on a 45.4-percent shooting clip while allowing just 36.0 percent from deep and forcing 13.2 turnovers.
 
All-GSC Second Team member Brandon Fussell leads the team with an average 17.7 points per game on a 47.4-percent while also leading the team with 3.6 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game. Jaylen Curry ranks second on the squad with an average of 16.4 points per game on 47.7-percent shooting and 37.2 percent from deep while pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game. Derek Moore has averaged 14.2 points per game this season with a 58.6-percent mark from the field and a 71.2-percent clip from the stripe while leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. Camden Andrews rounds out Montevallo's double-digit scorers with 10.0 points per game on 41.9-percent shooting.  
 
Scouting Valdosta State: WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
The Blazers head into the GSC semifinals as the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament after posting an 18-4 conference record during the regular season. Valdosta State secured the second seed in the GSC tournament with a 93-82 road win over Christian Brothers back on Feb. 24. Valdosta State breezed past seventh-seeded Union, 100-80, on March 4 in the opening round of the league championship. The last time Valdosta State appeared in the GSC semifinals, the Blazers defeated West Georgia, 99-89, back when the Blazers claimed the conference title in the 2020-21 season.
 
Valdosta State boasts the most potent offense in the GSC with an average of 94.2 points per game on a 47.0-percent clip from the floor and a 34.3-percent three-point mark with an average of 9.4 triples per game. On the glass, VSU averages 36.7 rebounds per game with a second-best 13.1 offensive rebounds per game. The Blazers dish out an average of 15.34 assists per game while adding a league-high 11.48 steals per game. Defensively, VSU allows 82.9 points per game on 46.4-percent from the floor and 31.3-percent from deep.
 
Carlos Hart highlights VSU's offense with an average of 18.6 points per game on a 50.1-percent mark from the floor while leading the team with 6.8 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game. Braxton Williams ranks second on the squad with 14.6 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting while Drew Mills is good for 14.3 points per game on an team-high 52.1 percent from the floor.
 
Series History Against Valdosta State:
Since the Falcons joined Division II, Montevallo is 18-25 against the Blazers since the series began on Jan. 19, 1998. In the 16 games since Montevallo rejoined the GSC, the Falcons are 6-10 against VSU. The Falcons took back-to-back matchups against the Blazers between the 2022-23 season and the 2023-24 season. Most recently, Montevallo topped No. 9 Valdosta State, 101-92, on the road on March 1.