FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats could not keep the hot start rolling Friday night. Fort Valley State netted the night's opening 14 points, but Paine College chipped away and slipped past the home team, 56-53, in men's basketball play.
The Wildcats busted out of the gate to a 14-0 lead over the first 6:24 of the contest, including a pair of Marcus Scott 3-pointers and Sayerr Senghore with his own trey and a bucket. The visiting Lions were able to get their legs and chipped away until a 5-point spurt gave them a 25-24 lead with 2:10 in the first half. FVSU rebuilt the advantage to seven, 41-34, in the first eight minutes of the second 20 minutes. Paine College again came back for a 54-50 lead at 1:56. Scott made a final trey to pull FVSU within a point, 54-53, but the home team misfired on its final two 3-pointers in the last 30 seconds.
Wildcat newcomer Scott not only led FVSU (1-9) in scoring with 16 points, including four treys, but he surpassed the career 1,300-point mark.
Senghore was behind Scott with nine points, including a triple, with 11 rebounds, while Hassane Diallo added eight points on 4 of 8 shooting, 11 boards and three blocked shots.
Khirus Doucet chipped in five points and five assists. Jaylen Jackson drained a pair of 3-pointers for six points to go with three rebounds and a pair of assists off the bench. Mike Robinson made his five points in a matter of 30 seconds with four minutes left in the night. Jahlen Jack finished with four caroms, two points and two assists. Davorian Rudolph rounded out the scoring with two points.
Calvin Johnson finished with a Paine best 13 points.
Leading 29-28 at intermission, Scott started the second half with a 3-pointer for a 32-28 lead. Paine rattled off the ensuing six points and edged ahead, 34-32. FVSU ran off back-to-back-to-back long-range shots with two from Jackson around one from Senghore for what would be its largest lead of the second half, 41-34, at 12:07.
The Lions turned a 4-point deficit into a 3-point lead, 46-43, and never trailed over the final 6:51. Robinson's three free throws and a layup on the next possession tied the game for the Wildcats, 50-50, at 4:01.
FVSU will have close to a week off until it treks to Americus, Ga., for a Wednesday night, Dec. 18, contest at Georgia Southwestern. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
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