ALBANY, GA (February 6, 2016) – Senior forward Dareial Franklin scored a double-doubles to lead Fort Valley State to a 66-63 overtime win over scrappy Albany State University men's basketball team.
 
The Wildcats shot 29 percent from the field in overtime, making 25 percent from behind the arc and 60 percent from the free throw line.
 
"We did a much better job on the defensive end of the court in the second half," Head Coach Sammie Jackson said. "We had a lot more energy and played physical where we didn't do in the first half."
 
The Rams (4-18; 3-11) scored the first eight points of the game, but the Rams could not pull away in the first 20 minutes and the Wildcats got hot and took their first lead of the game at 9-8 on a Marcelis Hansberry free throw. From there the Wildcats out-scored ASU 22-17 on Tyler Edwards layup before going to half at 28-28.
 
FVSU came out in the second half on fire and took the lead at 16:22 left in the game on Franklin's dunk to make 37-28. FVSU held the lead through the 11:59 mark when ASU Earl Farnum's layup made it 41-40. The Wildcats regained the lead 58-55 with two minutes to go, before Rams Michael Green layup plus one free throw made it 58-58 at the one minute mark.
 
Franklin had game-high 21-points, while making six field goals, nine free throws and blocked two shots. Senior center Ralph Wilson added 13-points and senior forward Maritea Duke had nine.
 
ASU out rebounded FVSU 53-44, but Franklin's 13 rebounds led the way for the Wildcats. Wilson had seven and sophomore point guard J. R. Bryant had four.
The Wildcats finished the game shooting 35 percent from the field. They hit 20 of their 57 field goals and 22 of their 30 foul shots.
 
Lance Dixon led ASU (4-18; 3-11) with 13-points. Farnum scored 11-points and Ehaliq Hughes added 10.
ASU shot 30 percent from the field, 17 percent from behind the arc and 63 percent from the free throw line, making 17 of 27 shots.