LIVINGSTON, Ala. — The University of West Alabama Men's Basketball team bounced back from their first GSC loss with a 75-66 win over the Valdosta State Blazers in Pruitt Hall on Saturday.

No. 8 UWA (17-2, 12-1 Gulf South) held one of the top offensive teams in the country, in VSU (11-8, 6-7 GSC), to a season-low 66 points on a season-low 32.8 percent shooting while also dominating the boards with a total of 50 rebounds, outmatching the Blazers' 40.

"That was a phenomenal defensive effort," said head Nick Woodruff. "We know that our defense failed us against West Florida on Thursday, so I told the guys what a great challenge we have with Valdosta State today. Valdosta State leads the league in scoring and average over 90 points per game. With every great challenge, there is great opportunity and I'm just so proud of our guys for how they responded today."

The first half opened with Caleb Parr's three-pointer for West Alabama, assisted by Rasean Frederick at the 19:43 mark. The Blazers responded with a quick basket from Blaise Wallace, followed by a fast-break three-pointer from Lucas Brown, assisted by Drew Mills, giving them an early lead. UWA tied the game at 11-11 with 12:51 left after Jakobe Singleton's layup, assisted by Parr. VSU maintained a slim advantage, highlighted by Peter McKey's fast-break 3-pointer at 9:33, pushing their lead to 22-13. Despite a late push by West Alabama, capped by a buzzer-beater jumper from BJ Brown Jr., Valdosta State finished the half ahead 34-32.

A defensive first half saw West Alabama shoot 37.5 percent from the floor while Valdosta State shot 33.3 percent.

In a decisive second half, the Tigers secured a 75-66 victory over the Blazers. Rasean Frederick was instrumental, contributing a layup and a tip-in during a crucial sequence that tied the score at 44-44. Elliot Tulip added a three-pointer at the 9:12 mark to extend the home team's lead to 53-49. UWA continued to hold the lead, but weren't able to put VSU away as the game remained tight throughout the second half. Down the stretch, the Tigers made enough plays and consistently got stops to seal a nine-point win after outscoring Valdosta State by 11 points in the half.. 

Thompson led the team with a standout performance, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Frederick contributed with 16 points and collected four rebounds. BJ Brown Jr. made a defensive impact with four steals while adding four rebounds. Elliot Tulip contributed nine points, converting all six of his free throw attempts.

West Alabama will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Trevecca Nazarene for a 7:30 p.m GSC matchup.