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Dalton State College Athletics

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Men's Basketball-Raylan Barrion
82
Winner Dalton State (GA) DALTON S 10-5, 4-2
79
Life LIFE 12-5, 5-2
Winner
Dalton State (GA) DALTON S
10-5, 4-2
82
Final
79
Life LIFE
12-5, 5-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Dalton State (GA) DALTON S 43 39 82
Life LIFE 37 42 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Erik Simpson, Sports Information Director

Roadrunners Topple No. 18 Life On The Road, 82–79


MARIETTA, Ga. - Dalton State (10–5, 4–2) earned a statement win at #18 Life (12–5, 5–2), edging the Running Eagles 82–79 at the Eagles' Nest on Saturday. Qualen Pettus led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds, while the Roadrunners' defense piled up 13 blocks to close it out late. Of the 13 blocks, Varun Danak swatted eight shots away to claim a new school-record for most blocks in a game.
 
RECAP
FIRST HALF
Dalton State set the tone early with rim protection and efficient shooting, building a 43–37 halftime lead. Kyoya Sasaki returned from injury and splashed a pair of timely threes down the stretch (3:26 and 1:06), and Varun Danak beat the horn with a putback at :02 to give DS a six-point cushion at the break. The Roadrunners' first-half ledger featured 16 made field goals (6 threes), 9 assists, and 6 blocks as they controlled momentum for much of the opening 20 minutes.
 
SECOND HALF
Life opened the half with a surge, tying the game at 58–58 on a Calvin Payton three and briefly taking the lead on free throws. The Running Eagles pushed their largest advantage to eight at 66–58 after a Matija Gledic triple with 9:09 left.
 
Dalton State answered behind Pettus, who stacked layups and a deep three to pull DS within one, and Sasaki's driving finish to make it 75–74 with 3:25 remaining. Omarion Smith's two free throws at 2:48 put the Roadrunners back on top, and Raylan Barrion's layup at 1:20, plus two clutch free throws at :23 nudged the lead to 80–77. After Life trimmed it to 80–79 on a late bucket, Tyshan Kelley calmly sank two free throws with :05 to play, and Dalton State contested the final three to seal the 82–79 road win.
 
STATISTICAL LEADERS
  • Final: Dalton State 82, #18 Life 79
  • Shooting: DS 49.2% FG / 37.5% 3PT / 75.0% FT; Life 42.3% FG / 36.7% 3PT / 57.1% FT
  • Rim Protection: DS recorded 13 blocks (Varun Danak 8), while Life had 1
  • Top Scorers – DS: Qualen Pettus 21 (8–15, 3–7 3PT) with 8 rebounds; Raylan Barrion 11 (4 ast, 2 stl); Kyoya Sasaki 10 (6 ast); Omarion Smith 10 (3 blk); Varun Danak 10 points, 10 rebounds, 8 blocks
  • Top Scorers – Life: Matija Gledic 28 (5 threes, 9 rebounds); Calvin Payton 12; Chase Robinson 11; Shane Stevensen 8; Josh Baugher 8 (9 assists)
  • Paint / Bench: Points In The Paint — DS 28, Life 38; Bench Points — DS 24, Life 44
  • Halftime: DS led 43–37 at the break
UP NEXT
Dalton State comes back to Bandy Gym for a two-game homestand beginning January 15 when the birds host UT Southern (Tenn.). It will be the first of two annual Fill The Feeder games. The first 100 fans through the game will receive a free General Admission ticket with the donation of a non-perishable food item. Tip-Off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
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FIND NEWS AND FOLLOW THE BIRDS: News and updates from Dalton State's men's basketball team is posted on dsroadrunners.com and on X (@DStateBBall), Facebook (@DStateBasketball) and Instagram (dstatebball). Be sure to follow to keep pace with the Birds!
 
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