VALDOSTA — Carrollton, Tupelo, Tampa.

Across the southeast in the past year, West Georgia’s men’s basketball teams have bested Valdosta State. In two regular-season games, in last year’s Gulf South Conference championship game, in last year’s South Region championship game, West Georgia has won each battle.

For Valdosta State (19-6 overall, 8-5 in the GSC East), there’s been no place like home. Fourteen games, 13 wins in The Complex for this year’s Blazers. And last time VSU beat West Georgia was, yes, almost 14 months ago in The Complex.

So when the two rivals meet for the 100th time at 2 p.m. today in The Complex (radio: WVGA-FM 105.9) with a berth in this year’s Gulf South Conference tournament on the line, the Blazers hope to have one edge. Home court.

“I’d like to believe that edge comes back to us, but they’re playing awfully well,” said VSU men’s coach Jim Yarbrough. “They’re going to come in here with a lot of focus. They’re a very talented team.”

“We’re going to have to come out and play an extraordinary game on Saturday afternoon.”

The winner will go to Tupelo, Miss., next week for the conference tournament. The loser’s season is done. And that’s in a conference where they may have to be playoff games to decide West Division seedings if certain teams win today.

“It’s one of the biggest games we’ve had,” said senior forward John Prise, who joins guard Jeremy Brooks in playing their last games at The Complex. “Plus it’s against West Georgia and its for the last berth in the tournament.

“They know us well. We know them well. Lately everything has gone their way.”

It also shows how things can change in a year. A year ago, West Georgia beat Valdosta State in the Gulf South and South Region title games. This year, one team’s season will end far from those games.

“I don’t think either of our programs have fallen that far,” Yarbrough said. “We both took hits because we had a lot of seniors.

“It shows how talented and deep this league is becoming. It’s so competitive that they ought to let another couple of teams in (to the Gulf South tournament).Maybe (West Georgia head coach Ed) Murphy would be a good guy to lead that charge; he’s a senior coach in the league and an athletic director.”

West Georgia (18-8 overall, 8-5 in GSC East) has won 10 of its last 11 to get into the post-season tournament race after a 1-4 conference start.

In the lone meeting between the two current teams, West Georgia won, 78-58, in Carrollton in early January. Jonathan James had 21 points, while Rob Neal added 16.

Germayne Forbes leads West Georgia with a 14.5 point average. James adds 13.0, Bryan Redd 11.8 and Neal 10.0.

Rodgie Leggett had 16 and Tony Baker 12 for VSU.

Valdosta State has won its last three games after a triple-overtime loss at league-leading Alabama-Huntsville, including back-to-back road wins at West Florida and West Alabama last weekend.

“I think we sensed we had to put it together right now,” said Prise. “We understand what’s up for grabs, so we layed it on the line.”

Prise averages a team-high 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds. The former intramural standout who played two years for VSU also has a team-high 43 steals. Ernest Scott adds 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.

The losing team could finish 8-6 with Lincoln Memorial, if the Railsplitters lose at West Florida today. But Lincoln Memorial has the tiebreakers over both West Georgia and Valdosta State.