Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –The University of Montevallo men's basketball team fell short in the Gulf South Conference semifinals, 81-79, to No. 2 seed and No. 9 ranked Valdosta State, Saturday, inside the Pete Hanna Center.
The Falcons reached the Gulf South Conference semifinals for the first time since 2007 and were seeking a berth to the conference championship game for the first time since 2007 as well.
In a game that featured 10 ties, 10 lead changes, 28 points from
Brandon Fussell and a double-double from
Derek Moore, the Blazers proved too much in the end.
Montevallo bested Valdosta State from long range and in the turnover battle, but the Blazers edged UM on the boards and were more efficient from the floor.
The first half featured a back-and-forth affair with four ties and seven lead changes. Valdosta State scored the opening two buckets and led for the first 9:35 of the game. A 10-0 run, that included six points from
Camden Andrews, gave Montevallo a brief 19-17 lead at the 9:57 mark.
Brandon Fussell pushed the Falcons ahead by three, 24-21, at the under-8 media timeout, capping a 15-4 run over a span of 3:50.
With 3:14 remaining in the first 20 minutes, Valdosta held a narrow lead 36-35. Four straight points by
Derek Moore jumpstarted a 10-5 run to end the half and give UM a 45-39 advantage. A Fussell layup with four seconds finalized the scoring in the half while Moore added six of Montevallo's final 10 points.
After an opening bucket by
Jaylen Curry in the second half, Valdosta State used a 13-5 run to even the score 52-52 at the 16:00 mark. After several ensuing ties and lead changes,
Camden Andrews pushed the Falcons to a four-point lead, 61-57, with a deep three with 12:15 remaining. Less than two minutes later, back-to-back layups by Fussell gave UM a six-point advantage, 65-59.
Reese Gurner helped keep the Blazers at bay and hold the six-point lead as he dunked home a second-chance opportunity, created by Moore, giving Montevallo a 67-61 lead. Valdosta State responded with a 10-4 run to tie UM 71-71 over the next four minutes. The Falcons kept battling and held off the Blazers, though, as Fussell drained a pair of free-throws and a deep three-pointer to make it 76-71, with less than five minutes to go. Moore added to UM's lead at the 3:43 mark, 78-71.
However, Valdosta State caught fire at the end and outscored UM 10-1 over the final 3:07 of play to win, 81-79. The Blazers took a brief lead with1:28 to go, 79-78, but a Fussell free-throw evened the score 26 seconds later. The Falcons stopped VSU defensively late, but a costly five-second call gave the Blazers possession with 22 seconds to go. A jumper fell in for the Blazers with just two seconds remaining on the clock, giving the No. 2 seed a lead, 81-79. Fussell had a decent look from three at the buzzer that fell short, ending UM's run in the GSC tourney.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 3 seed Montevallo | No. 2 seed #9 Valdosta State
Records: Montevallo 20-10(15-7 GSC) | Valdosta State 25-5 (18-4 GSC)
Location: Pete Hanna Center | Homewood, AL
GAME NOTES
- Derek Moore registered his fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 boards.
- Brandon Fussell led all scorers with 28 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep.
- Montevallo edged VSU in the paint 46-36 and in second chance points, 16-11.
- Valdosta State proved more efficient from the floor, shooting 46 percent, compared to 42.9 for the Falcons.
UP NEXT: The Falcons will await its fate in the NCAA Tournament, set to begin Mar. 15. The selection show will begin at 10 p.m. central, Sunday, Mar. 9. In the last ranking released by the NCAA the Falcons were featured as the No. 6 seed.
