JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Wildcats took away a close one Saturday. In a tight back-and-forth contest the entire game, Fort Valley State saw an Antonio Pelham 3-pointer fall with 57 seconds and it never gave up the edge over Edward Waters in the final ticks for a 79-75 men's basketball victory.

Myson Lowe hit a jumper early in the second half for an eight-point Wildcat lead, 41-33, only 1:26 in and the Tigers reversed the advantage to their own six-point lead, 51-45, at 12:54. From there it was less than a two-possession game until Pelham broke the final tie with his triple for a 75-72 edge at 57 seconds. Davorian Rudolph pushed it to a four-point FVSU margin, 77-73, with 22 seconds before each team went 1 for 2 at the foul line in two trips each in the last 19 seconds to keep the same point difference.

Lowe finished with a FVSU-high 14 points with a trio of 3-pointers. The Eskridge brothers both hit for 12 points apiece – Kenton was 4 of 6 from the field, handed out six assists, grabbed four rebounds and three steals, while Kevan made 5 of 11 field goals, two treys, three boards and two assists.

Joe Williams contributed 10 points and pulled down six caroms. Rudolph added eight points and Pelham recorded eight points, two triples, and nine rebounds. Jamal Reynolds chipped in seven points, all in the first half.

Jeremiah Kwarteng paced the home Tigers with 17 points.

Lowe and Pelham gave FVSU a 4-0 lead with the opening two buckets. FVSU kept the early momentum on a Williams layup for a 9-3 tally only 3:47 into the day. The visitors' lead grew to six, 14-8, on a Reynolds basket, before Edward Waters ran off eight-straight points for a 16-14 lead. FVSU went right back with the following seven points to make it 21-16 in its favor.

FVSU wraps up its regular season on Monday night (Feb. 26) when it takes on Savannah State on the east coast of Georgia starting at 7:30 p.m.

-Wildcats-