FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats passed Saturday's test and put the 'W' in the win column. Fort Valley State held tough down the stretch, had the answers it needed and fended off Kentucky State, 85-82, in men's basketball.

After his 3-pointer retook the lead for the home team with 9:38 remaining, Kenton Eskridge's pair of free throws with seven seconds left gave the Wildcats (2-9/2-3 SIAC East) back a 3-point lead, 85-82. Kentucky State's potential game-tying 3-pointer by Ogien Ayo with under four seconds left was the off mark and sealed the FVSU victory.

Shooting guard Myson Lowe produced the big day for the Wildcats. The junior hit 9 of 18 shots from the floor, including 4 of 7 from long-range, and all six of his free throws for a season-best 28 points, 19 of which were in the first half. He also had three rebounds and a pair of steals.

Khadim Samb added 17 points with 6 of 6 from the foul line and eight rebounds. Eskridge finished with 16 points, while he handed out four assists and picked off two passes. On the inside, both Quincy Young, who also pulled down six rebounds, and Davorian Rudolph had six point apiece.

FVSU could not have been tougher at the foul line where it put all 17 attempts through the net. The charity stripe shooting helped the Wildcats snap a four-game skid.

Josiah Mitchell bettered Lowe's numbers with a 30-point contest on 9 of 18 shooting with six 3-pointers. KSU was also stellar at the line where it went 13 of 15.

Lowe led a hard-charging effort to start the afternoon where FVSU put up the first 10 points with six from the shooting guard. Jamal Reynolds increased the margin to a dozen, 16-4, with under five minutes into the game. Young spun and flipped home a hook shot from the block as the Wildcats continued to hold a double-digit lead, 24-14, at 11:27 left in the opening stanza.

Kentucky State, though, ran off the next eight points to pull to within two, 24-22. The visitors kept chipping away and pull edged ahead, 37-34, with 3:47 on the clock. Eskridge and Lowe teamed up to power FVSU back on top heading to intermission with the final eight tallies for a 42-37 score.

Lowe downed his final trey at 15:14 left in the game to give what FVSU thought was a solid lead, 60-49. The Thorobreds battled back with the next 10 points and briefly held the advantage at 63-62 at the 10-minute mark, before Eskridge's triple.

FVSU had one day to enjoy the victory before it hosts Central State in a Monday night, December 18, matchup. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

-Wildcats-