SAVANNAH, Ga. – Fort Valley State University Men's Basketball (7-4, 6-4 SIAC) earned a thrilling 79-78 road victory over Savannah State University (5-7, 5-5 SIAC) Thursday night.
Savannah State opened the game with a three-pointer for the early 3-0 lead before
Demetrius Paul Jr. put FVSU on the board with a layup to make it 3-2. The Tigers held the advantage until
Derek Delgardo Jr. knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at six. After SSU regained control,
Aidan Lambert gave the Wildcats their first lead of the night with a jumper just past the 11:30 mark, 18-17.
FVSU went up by five before Savannah State responded and reclaimed the lead, 23-22. The teams continued to trade baskets throughout the remainder of the half, with the Wildcats trailing by three heading to the locker room, 38-35.
Savannah State opened the second half by stretching its lead to six at 41-35, but Fort Valley State answered with six straight points to even the score.
C.J. Williams then buried a three-pointer to give the Wildcats their first lead of the half at 44-42. The game continued to swing back and forth as both teams exchanged momentum and leads.
FVSU put together a run late and took a seven-point advantage, 71-64, on a three-pointer from
Danny Delgardo III. Savannah State battled back and pushed the game to the wire, but
Aidan Lambert delivered the deciding basket, scoring the game-winning layup with 15 seconds remaining to secure the 79-78 victory.
Four Wildcats finished in double figures.
Aidan Lambert led all scorers with 26 points on nine field goals while going 7-for-9 from the free throw line.
Danny Delgardo III followed with 18 points, shooting 4-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 8-for-9 at the charity stripe.
C.J. Williams added 14 points with five field goals, including three three-pointers, while
Sincere Whitehead contributed 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting.
Sincere Whitehead and
Derek Delgardo Jr. shared the team lead on the glass with eight rebounds each, while
Derek Delgardo Jr. also paced the Wildcats with six assists.
Fort Valley State continues its road stretch at Edward Waters University with tipoff set for 4 p.m.
