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Braves battle Valdosta for South Region Lead
February 10, 2005
CARROLLTON, GA - There is never a shortage of passion when the West Georgia Braves face the Valdosta State Blazers in any athletic event. However, the stakes will be even higher than usual Saturday when the Braves welcome their downstate rivals to the HPE Building.
The 104th renewal of this heated rivalry features teams currently tied (with Montevallo) for the division lead with 7-2 records. West Georgia is 18-2 on the season, ranked seventh nationally and tops in the South Region of NCAA Division II. Valdosta State is 16-3, unranked nationally, and rated fifth in the region.
A win Saturday is vital for the Braves’ hopes of winning the GSC East title, something no UWG team has accomplished since the 2000-01 season. Also, a victory is needed to keep the Braves atop the region rankings and in-line to potentially host the South Region Tournament for the first time since 1983.
Saturday’s meeting is the second of the season between the two. Valdosta State captured the first, winning on its home court, 98-88, on January 10. Recent history, however, favors UWG in Saturday’s meeting. West Georgia has won eight straight at home in the series over Valdosta State.
Saturday’s action begins at 7:30 in the HPE Building. The game can be heard on WCKS, 102.7 FM, and on-line at uwgbraves.com.
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