FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats saw the last swing of momentum go against them Monday night. In a contest with 14 ties and 10 lead changes, Morehouse College slipped past Fort Valley State by taking the advantage for the final time with under seven minutes of its eventual, 67-58, men's basketball win.

FVSU (4-18/4-11 SIAC East) received buckets from Kenton Eskridge and Davorian Rudolph in the final 40 seconds of the first half to pull to within a point, 30-29, at half. With 8:46 left in the contest, Joe Williams laid the ball in the basket and gave the Wildcats their seventh second-half lead, 52-51, with none by more than two points. The Maroon Tigers (16-8/13-3 SIAC East), though, netted the next six points over the ensuing two minutes for a 58-52 edge and never let the home team closer than four points in the final five minutes.

Travis Williams (right) was honored at tonight's basketball games as part of FVSU's celebration of Black History Month. He was honored with FVSU head softball coach Rufus Green (left) and Coordinator of Student-Athletes Success/Senior Woman Administrator Daphnie Johnson (center).

The Eskridge brothers finished with top FVSU honors. Kenton hit for a team-high 11 points to go with five assists, while Kevan dropped in nine scores. The trio of Khadim Samb, Pierre Mitchell and Davorian Rudolph each chipped in seven points. Samb had four boards and Mitchell two assists. Antonio Pelham connected on two 3-pointers for six points.

Both Cedric Taylor and Jaden Gray paced Morehouse with 13 points apiece. The Maroon Tigers cleaned the glass by a 51-27 margin.

After a Kevan Eskridge jump shot pulled the home team within three almost six minutes into the night, Morehouse pushed it the difference to what would be the largest of the first half of eight, 16-8. FVSU rallied back to tie the game two times, 23-23 and 25-25, after layups from Rudolph and Jamal Reynolds.

The Wildcats enjoyed their first edge of the night, 31-30, on the second 20 minutes first points from a Mitchell jumper. FVSU snuck ahead on the scoreboard five more times before the Williams layup being the final one.

FVSU remains at home where it will host Benedict College this Saturday afternoon (Feb. 10) in a 3 p.m. start for Senior Day.

-Wildcats-