VALDOSTA — Saturday’s second-round Division II playoff matchup between Valdosta State and Catawba was every bit as close as a battle between two of the top 12 teams in the country was supposed to be.

At least in the first half.

The second half was a display of Valdosta State’s dominance, and the No. 8 Blazers won convincingly, 55-29, to advance to the Southeast Region finals next Saturday against longtime rival North Alabama.

Valdosta State and Catawba went into halftime with the 12th-ranked Indians leading 16-13. In the locker room, the Blazers made adjustments.

“They played great football in the second half,” Catawba head coach Chip Hester said. “I thought they really took control of the game in the second half. They made plays, and we didn’t have the answers.”

The Blazers’ defense clamped down on Catawba’s third-down conversions, and forced three second-half turnovers. On the other side of the ball, the offensive line made slight blocking adjustments and dominated the battle of the trenches, and the running game moved the ball at will.

In the game’s first two quarters, Catawba converted three of its six third downs for gains of 10, 14 and 33 yards, respectively. Each of those conversions led to points.

On the Indians’ second possession of the game, quarterback Brad Roach threw a 10-yard pass to George Bell and a 14-yard pass to Antwan Strong, both on third down, to keep alive an 11-play drive that ended in the Indians’ first touchdown. Bell scored on a 2-yard run. Travis Harrison blocked the extra point, keeping VSU in the lead, 7-6.

Bell’s touchdown answered a defensive score by VSU that came just 55 seconds into the game.

On the Indians’ second play of the game, VSU defensive back Roger King knocked the ball out of the hands of Grayson Downs. Free safety Sherard Reynolds scooped up the loose ball and ran it 34 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.

That was the only time VSU got into the end zone in the first half, as it struggled with red zone proficiency. Two of the Blazers’ four trips inside the Indians’ 20-yard line resulted in field goals. Zac Williams connected on kicks of 23 yards and 31 yards.

Williams’ 31-yarder, which brought the game within three, 16-13, right before halftime was not only the last field goal the Blazers would have to kick, but it was also the last time they entered the red zone without coming away with seven points.

“We were moving the ball very well, but when we got in the red zone, we just couldn’t score,” VSU head coach David Dean said. “I told our guys, ‘We can’t settle for three points any more. We have to go down and score touchdowns.’”

VSU did just that in the second half, wasting very little time in doing so.

On the first drive of the half, the Blazers handed the ball to junior running back Michael Terry five times, and he picked up 36 yards. That led to a 5-yard touchdown pass to Josh Rayam from Willie Copeland.