CLINTON, Miss. --- After leading for nearly 36 minutes in a tightly-contested game, the Mississippi College men's basketball team dropped a home game to Valdosta State, 80-77, on Thursday night in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

The Choctaws (6-12, 5-11 GSC) started the game off hot, shooting 53% from the field in the first half and going 8-of-17 (47%) from the three-point line. They would take a 40-32 advantage into the halftime break.

Senior Jonathan McGee led the MC charge, scoring 25 points, including 16 in the second half. The Raymond native went 5-of-11 from long range as he scored the second-most points in single game this season after posting 29 against Shorter on January 9th.

The Blazers (13-8, 9-7 GSC) jumped right back into the game with an 11-0 run to open the second half. Justin Simon led the VSU attack with a double-double, scoring 20 points with 14 rebounds, nine coming on the offensive glass.

When McGee hit a layup with 11:58 remaining, the Choctaws looked to regain control of the contest, going up 59-52.

The lead was still seven with 6:50 to go, on the strength of clutch free throw shooting from the Choctaws, led by senior Tristan Moore (17 pts), who went 13-for-13 from the charity stripe, the most for an MC player in a single game since Brandon Blake hit 13 against Texas Lutheran on January 5, 2013.

Valdosta State continued to chip away until Chris Longoria nailed a three-pointer with 2:18 remaining to give the Blazers a 75-73 advantage.

The Choctaws would answer right back with a McGee layup and after a missed free throw on a 1-and-1 by the Blazers, Moore hit two free throws to give MC a 77-75 lead.

On the ensuing possession, the Blazers got four chances at a shot after four offensive boards and Blake Justice (16 pts) made MC pay with a three-pointer to take a 78-77 lead.

The two teams traded fouls, giving the Choctaws the ball with :22 seconds remaining, but a missed layup gave VSU's Jeremiah Hill a chance to knock down two free throws to extend the lead with :02.3 left.

McGee had a last-second half-court shot hit off the front iron as time expired, and the Blazers held on for their first win against the Choctaws since January 21, 1995.

Senior Johnny Rucker (11 pts) joined McGee and Moore in double-figure scoring, while junior Byron McCall came off the bench to pull down a team-high nine rebounds.

On the night, MC was outrebounded 46-33, highlighting the absence of senior Tory Rice, who ranks 2nd in the nation with 11.8 rebounds per game. The Starkville native missed his second straight game with an injury.

Hill (13 pts) and Josh Lemons (10 pts) joined Simon and Justice in double-figure scoring for the Blazers.

MC will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when they will host West Florida at 4:00 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum.