FORT VALLEY, Ga. – Fort Valley State University Women's Basketball (0-5, 0-4 SIAC) stumbled at home in a 72-66 setback to Savannah State University (3-1, 2-1 SIAC) on Saturday afternoon.
Savannah State edged out a 14-9 advantage in the opening quarter.
Aaniyah Allen got the Wildcats on the board with a three-pointer for an early 3-0 lead, and a pair of layups from
India McIntosh stretched the margin to 7-1. The Tigers responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 7-7 with just under five minutes remaining. SSU took its first lead on a layup to make it 9-7 and closed the quarter with five unanswered points for a 14-9 advantage.
The Wildcats found their rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring the Tigers 26-16.
Grace East tied the game at 15 with a long-range three, and although SSU briefly regained the lead,
Madisyn Ogburn knocked down a three to put FVSU ahead 23-22—their first lead since the 6:15 mark of the first quarter. Allen added to the momentum with a layup for a three-point cushion. After Savannah State evened the score at 25-25, the Wildcats surged ahead again and carried a 35-30 lead into halftime.
Savannah State outscored Fort Valley State 20-16 in the third quarter, but FVSU held its ground. East opened the frame with a triple to push the lead to eight, and despite steady scoring from both sides, the Wildcats never relinquished the lead heading into the fourth.
The Tigers regained the advantage early in the final quarter with a layup—their first lead since 6:18 in the second period. SSU maintained control until
Reya Johnson tied the game at 60-60. Savannah State responded quickly, rebuilding a lead that grew to nine points in the final seconds before
Tiana Gongora drained a last-second three to bring the final score to 72-66.
Allen paced the Wildcats with 14 points on five made field goals and a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line. She also led the team with five assists. Ogburn and Johnson followed with nine points each; Ogburn hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while Johnson shot 44% from the field. Allen and McIntosh controlled the glass with eight rebounds apiece.
Fort Valley State returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 4, traveling to Spring Hill College for a 5:30 p.m. CT tipoff.
