FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats used every last second for their biggest home win of the season. Down by five points with 52 seconds left, Fort Valley State's Kevan Eskridge was an unstoppable force with a layup and a 3-pointer before he not only dropped in the game-winner with eight seconds left, but blocked Allen University's 3-pointer in the final seconds to seal the 80-79 men's basketball comeback victory.
It was the FVSU (5-18) individual performance of the year and the home team needed every single one of Eskridge's 33-point outburst. Following a 14-point first half, Eskridge outdid his game-best in the second 20 minutes with 19 points. Following Eskridge's fourth trey, Allen answered with one of its own for a 78-73 with the 52 ticks. Eskridge pulled down the defensive rebound and then took the pass from his older brother Kenton, who had 11 assists on the night, and drove in to cut it to three, 78-75, with 49 seconds. The Yellow Jackets made one of two free throws to push the margin back to four, before Eskridge's fifth 3-pointer made it 79-78 at 21 seconds. After Allen missed a pair of free throws with 20 seconds, Eskridge continued his scoring run with what would be the game winner with eight ticks, 80-79. Following a timeout, Allen's final shot with under four seconds, a 3-pointer was blocked by who else but Eskridge to clinch the FVSU win.
For the night, Eskridge made 12 fo 20 field goals, 5 of 7 from long range and 4 of 5 free throws in the 33-point night. He also had a team-high seven rebounds, an assist, one steal and the big blocked shot. His brother Kenton had the team's season-high of 11 assists to go wit five points.
Myson Lowe, who surpassed 1,000 career combined college points, hit a pair of 3-pointers and made all six of his free throws for 16 points. Antonio Pelham dropped 3 of 5 treys for nine points to go with four rebounds.
FVSU made 13 of 25 field goals in the second half and 7 of 13 of its 3-point attempts. In fact, the home team connected on 12 of 24 from 3-point range for the game.
Allen's Malik Lacewell led the visitors effort with 21 points.
The Yellow Jackets went out to a 10-point (19-9) lead in the opening 10 minutes of action. FVSU came back to edge ahead on an Eskridge 3-point play at 30-29 with 3:08 before it had a 36-33 halftime lead.
Allen regained the momentum in the second half to lead by as many as eight points (57-49) halfway through the period. Lowe drained a 3-pointer for a Wildcat lead of 66-63 with 6:41 before again the Yellow Jackets pushed ahead by five points both at 75-70 and 78-73.
FVSU stays at home where it will entertain rival Albany State on Saturday night (Feb. 16) in an 8 p.m. Winter Homecoming contest.
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