It was fun while it lasted, but all good things come to an end.

The Valdosta State Blazers (18-4, 13-3 Gulf South Conference) could not overcome their worst shooting night of the season, falling 72-58 to Delta State (15-6, 10-5 GSC) on Saturday night.

In their quest for an 11th straight victory, the Blazers shot a season-low 35.5 percent from the floor and made just 7-of-26 from 3-point range.

The Statesmen got big games from James Kilpatrick and Cedric Harper, particularly in the second half. Kilpatrick scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half, including a pair of thunderous dunks to stoke the momentum for his team down the stretch.

Harper notched a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds Saturday. Harper also shored up the interior defense for the Statesmen, swatting away four shots in the second half and five overall in 32 minutes.

Trailing by as many as 11 points, the Blazers took a 34-29 lead early in the second half. The Statesmen clawed their way back with a 13-3 run to take a 42-37 lead on a tip-in by forward PJ Davis with 11:28 remaining.

The Blazers outscored the Statesmen 13-7 over the next 4:05 to take a 50-49 lead on a layup by Marquis Simuels with 7:23 to go.

A game-changing defensive stand by the Statesmen shut the door on the Blazers as they would only score eight points the rest of the way. DSU closed the game on a 23-8 surge to claim their third straight win.

PJ Davis led the Statesmen with 17 points, shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor in 19 minutes. Devin Schmidt added 10 points and five assists in the win.

Beau Justice scored a game-high 22 points, shooting 8-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Saadiq Muhammad was the only other Blazer in double-figures with 11 points to go along with nine rebounds. Senior guard Jeremiah Hill, who scored a career-high 35 points in the Blazers’ double-overtime win against Mississippi College on Thursday, finished with nine points on 3-of-13 shooting while handing out six assists in the loss.

The Statesmen came out firing, leading the Blazers 27-16 with 3:15 left in the first half. Justice exploded on a personal 8-0 run, nailing two 3-pointers in the process to bring the Blazers within three, 27-24 at the break.

DSU shot just 35.7 percent in the first half, but went 5-of-10 from 3-point land. Devin Schmidt and Brett Warner each knocking down two in the first 20 minutes of play.

Justice made 5-of-7 field goals and poured in 13 points in the first half as the Blazers shot 40 percent and committed nine turnovers. The Blazers head back to the friendly confines of The Complex on Thursday as the red-hot Union Bulldogs come to town riding a four-game winning streak.

Tip-off for Thursday’s game is scheduled for 8 p.m.

VSU women 48,

Delta State 38

The Valdosta State Blazers (14-8, 11-5 GSC) came back from a 14-point deficit to defeat Delta State (8-12, 5-10 GSC) 48-38 on Saturday afternoon.

The Statesmen took a 38-34 lead on a layup by Aliyah Herod with 6:49 left in the fourth quarter. The basket would be the final field goal for DSU for the rest of the game. 

With the Blazers’ defense sinking its teeth in and the offense getting high percentage looks, the Blazers closed the game on a 14-0 run.

The Blazers made 14-of-24 layups in the game for 28 of their 48 points while holding the Statesmen to 18 points in the paint. The visitors shot 44 percent from the field overall and relied on their defense to force the Statesmen into 29 percent shooting.

Sonya Franklin and Madi Mitchell scored 17 points apiece to lead the Blazers. Franklin made 7-of-11 field goals, while Mitchell shot 6-of-13 overall.

A jumper by DSU’s Anissa Jackson gave the Statesmen a 25-11 lead with 45 seconds remaining before halftime. A layup by Franklin sent the Blazers into the break trailing 25-13.

The third quarter saw the Blazers climb back into the game behind a 13-4 run to draw within three, 29-26 with 3:17 left in the quarter.

Kenya Samone’ Dixon added 10 points and nine rebounds in 39 minutes. Dixon shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the victory.

Center Kaelin Kneeland led the Statesmen with 12 points and seven rebounds. Alondrea Rush, who scored  a season-high 23 points against the Blazers on Jan. 19, finished with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Rush also grabbed five rebounds and snagged three steals as the Statesmen have now lost two straight games.

The Blazers are riding a four-game winning streak, including a 3-0 record during the Alabama-Mississippi road swing. They return home Thursday to take on Union at The Complex. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.