FORT VALLEY, Ga.- Fort Valley State University Men's Basketball (7-7, 6-7 SIAC) fell just short in a 63–59 home loss to Clark Atlanta University (11-5, 8-4 SIAC) Monday evening.
The Wildcats answered Clark Atlanta's opening basket as
Sincere Whitehead finished in the paint to tie the game at 2–2. Fort Valley State grabbed its first lead moments later when
Derek Delgardo Jr. drilled a three-pointer, and CJ Williams added a layup to extend the margin to 7–2. Clark Atlanta responded with a run to take a 12–7 lead, but the Wildcats quickly countered.
Aidan Lambert connected from beyond the arc, and
Meka Nnaji added a three-pointer to give Fort Valley State a 13–12 advantage. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, with Clark Atlanta holding an 18–13 edge before Lambert and Williams helped close the gap to 20–19.
The Wildcats surged late in the first half.
Danny Delgardo III tied the game at 23–23 with a layup, Williams hit a three-pointer, and
Derek Delgardo Jr. added a fastbreak dunk. Whitehead's layup sent Fort Valley State into halftime with a 36–32 lead.
In the second half, Clark Atlanta opened with a quick basket, but Lambert's three-pointer and a triple from
Danny Delgardo III pushed the lead to 42–35. The Panthers battled back to tie it at 42–42, with Fort Valley State staying close behind key baskets from
Demetrius Paul Jr. and
Jahlen Jack. Jack added a three-pointer and a layup to keep the Wildcats within one point, and Lambert's fastbreak layup briefly gave Fort Valley State a 57–54 advantage—the team's final lead of the night.
Clark Atlanta responded down the stretch, reclaiming the lead at 58–57 and extending it to 60–57. Jack kept the Wildcats within one at 60–59 with two free throws, but Clark Atlanta sealed the game with free throws and a late fastbreak basket for the 63–59 victory.
Lambert led the Wildcats with 14 points, going 6-for-13 from the floor and 2-for-4 from three-point range, while also recording three assists and two steals. Jack added 10 points, including 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. Whitehead and Williams paced the rebounding with seven boards each.
Fort Valley State returns to action Thursday, Jan. 22, hosting Tuskegee University at 7:30 p.m.
