Written By Christopher Mercer, Sports Editor. Photo Courtesy of Flickr 

The VSU Blazers soundly defeated the Union Bulldogs 100-80 in the first round of the Gulf South Conference championship tournament.  

Before this matchup, the Blazers won both regular-season matchups, 102-79 on Jan. 9 and 106-100 on Feb. 22. 

This game was complete domination, as the Blazers held the lead for most of the game. The Blazers had six players in double figures, with guard MJ Jones leading the way in scoring with 20 points, six assists, and five steals. Forward Drew Mills contributed 18 points, while Carlos Hart secured a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds.  

The Blazers only trailed twice in this game in the first half. The Blazers were tenacious on defense, forcing 20 turnovers and having 14 steals. They also held the Bulldogs to 39 percent shooting from the field in the first half, which turned out to be a huge turning point. Despite the Bulldogs shooting 58 percent from the field in the second half, it was too little, too late, as the Blazers would extend the lead and never let go.  

The win secured the Blazers a semi-final berth in Birmingham, Alabama, and advanced them to 24-5 on the season. They will face the Montevallo Falcons on Saturday, March 8, for a chance to play in the GSC championship game. Meanwhile, the Union Bulldogs finish their season with a 13-16 record.  

The game will tip off at 8:15pm on Flo Sports.