VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Auburn Montgomery Men's Basketball Team led by as many as 12 points in the second half but ultimately fell 84-78 to the Valdosta State Blazers in its final game in 2021 on Monday, Dec. 20.
 
The loss drops AUM's record to 3-9 overall and 0-4 in Gulf South Conference play.
 
Isaiah Hart led a quartet of Warhawks that scored in double figures with 23 points and a team-high four assists, marking for Hart's fifth 20-point performance this season.
 
James Graham logged his second double-double of the season with 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Jeremiah Bozeman tallied 15 points with five rebounds while Roderick Smith accounted for 13 points and five boards.
 
Both teams struggled on offense out of the gate, with a Hart layup putting AUM up 9-6 at the 13:56 mark in the first.
 
The Warhawks and Blazers each settled into a groove over the next six minutes however, with AUM knocking down seven of 10 shots and VSU sinking six of nine. An emphatic and-one slam dunk from Graham capped off the six-minute stretch to give the Warhawks a 25-23 lead with 7:28 to go in the half.
 
The Blazers went on to tie the score at 29-all with 4:10 left, followed by both teams scoring seven points the rest of the way to see a 36-36 tied score at the break.
 
AUM came out red-hot in the second half, knocking down seven of its first eight shots as part of a 15-3 run to go up 51-39 at the 15:26 mark. From there, Valdosta State would retaliate with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to cut the Warhawks' lead to 53-52 with 10:40 to play.
 
The Blazers tied up the score at 62-all with 7:31 left, and from there would rattle off a 17-6 run in which they went a perfect 6-6 from the floor to go up 76-68 at the 3:25 mark. VSU led by as many as 11 over the final three minutes before giving way to the 84-78 final score.
 
The Warhawks shot 47 percent (31-65) from the floor compared to 48 percent (30-62) by the Blazers, highlighted by a field-goal efficiency of 55 percent (16-29) in the second half that helped springboard them to victory.
 
AUM registered 38 points in the paint, 13 fast break points, 13 points off turnovers, and 11 second chance points. Monday's contest featured 13 lead changes and eight tied scores.
 
The men's basketball team will return to the court on Sunday, Jan. 2 when they host Lee University at 3:00 p.m. from the AUM Gymnasium.

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