 "Photo: uwgsports.com")
A record breaking 4,873 people were in attendance Saturday evening at The Coliseum for “Paint It Blue Night,” to watch the University of West Georgia’s men’s basketball team take on their Gulf South Conference rival Valdosta State Blazers. The Wolves would end up feeling blue by game’s end, losing in a nail-biter, 58-57.
Valdosta State entered the game ranked sixth nationally (Division II), and featured the highest scoring offense in the GSC, averaging 85.9 points per game. West Georgia played phenomenal team defense, holding the high-powered Blazers offense in check all night. Unfortunately, the Wolves couldn’t muster up enough offense when needed, as junior guard Vojin Svilar rimmed out a three pointer at the end of regulation that would have sent the game into overtime.
“I’m proud of our kids for putting themselves on the line like they did tonight,” said Head Coach Michael Cooney. “We just had a few shots that didn’t go our way and I hate it for them, losing by one point, but they sure played one heck of a ballgame tonight.”
The Wolves never got into a consistent rhythm on offense, only shooting 36% from the field and were 2 for 13 from three-point range. “We started off hot in the first half and just cooled off in the second,” said junior guard Justin Cummings. Cummings came off the bench to score 10 points in the first half, giving the team some momentum and getting the crowd involved early. “The crowd was electric and it felt amazing to be out there tonight. I hope they continue to support us the rest of the season because we need that type of crowd.”
Feeding off the energy of the crowd early, West Georgia got off to a fast start, going on a 7-0 run in the first five minutes of the game. Senior forward John Pringle set the tone early defensively for the Wolves, blocking an early lay-up attempt into the second row of the stands. The Blazers looked out of sync early, but were able to settle in to a rhythm, closing the lead to 12-8 with 11:18 remaining in the first half. With the momentum slipping away, Svilar drained a clutch three pointer seconds later, and Cummings added two free throws, giving West Georgia its largest lead of the night at 17-8.
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