Savannah State prevailed in a late-season doubleheader against in-state SIAC Rival Albany State. Check out a recap of both games.
Lady Tigers vs. Lady Rams
Nyla Allen had a phenomenal night scoring 16 points, Mya Byrd and Amari Heard scored 12 points and the Savannah State Lady Tigers rallied late for a 65-55 victory over the Albany State Golden Lady Rams.
On January 15 in Albany, GA, the Savannah State Lady Tigers triumphed over the Albany State Golden Rams with a score of 54-46. Graduate student Amari Heard scored 20 points, while senior Nyla Allen added 16 points. As the top seed in the SIAC conference, SSU aimed to maintain their stellar season and secure a victory against the Albany State Golden Lady Rams.
In the opening quarter, Savannah State and Albany State traded points back and forth, resulting in four ties and three lead changes. SSU took an early 4-0 lead at 9:16, but Albany State responded with a 5-0 run to claim a 5-4 lead at 7:35. The teams first tied at 10-10 with 3:57 remaining. As the quarter neared its end, Mya Byrd’s layup and Yasmine Fairchild’s free throws marked the second tie of the half at 12-12 with 2:56 left. The Lady Tigers surged ahead with an 8-3 run, finishing the first quarter with a 20-15 lead.
ASU started the 2nd quarter strong, scoring 9-4 to tie the game at 24 with 5:27 left. Following the tie, there was a 2:07 scoring drought, with intensified defense from both ASU and SSU. SSU forced 3 turnovers, including two steals and a deflection off an ASU defender’s leg. ASU also caused a turnover, with Johanna Bell making a steal. Amari Heard then scored two baskets for SSU, bringing the score to 28-24 at the 2:39 mark. A three-pointer by Albany State’s Keyra Peterson and a layup by senior Ta’Quasia Lampkin closed the 2nd quarter, with SSU leading 30-27.
The third quarter marked the beginning of Nyla Allen showcasing her all-star talent. Albany State leveled the score at 30-30 with 9:47 remaining. Allen demonstrated her versatile playmaking abilities, contributing 9 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals in just under 3 minutes of play.
Savannah State surged ahead to their largest lead (32-42) with 6:29 left in the third quarter, fueled by Allen’s performance. ASU countered with a 10-2 run, narrowing the gap to 42-44. The Lady Tigers rallied, finishing the third quarter with a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 42-50.
Savannah State held an 8-point lead and battled fiercely with the Golden Rams. A three-pointer by Elisa Saffold narrowed SSU’s lead to 7 points at 54-47 with 5:28 remaining. SSU extended their lead to 12 points (61-49) with baskets from Amari Heard, Nyla Allen, and Mya Byrd with 3:07 left.
Albany State quickly scored 6 points in 43 seconds, reducing the lead to 55-61. In the final 1:34, Nyla Allen and Amari Heard shined for Savannah State. Heard scored a jumper, Allen made two free throws, and then stole the ball from ASU, securing a 65-55 victory for the Lady Tigers.
The top scorers for the Golden Rams were Junior Elisa Saffold with 15 points and Senior Milana Holmes with 14 points.
Albany State is headed to Jacksonville, FL for their last game of the season against the Edward Waters University Lady Tigers on February 26 at 5:30 P.M. at Adams-Jenkins Complex.
Savannah State will have their final regular season game against the Fort Valley State Lady Wildcats on February 26 at 7:30 P.M. at Tiger Arena.
Tigers vs. Rams
Zion Davis has a stunning 19 points and 6 rebounds as the Savannah State University Tigers extend their win streak to three in a row after defeating the Albany State Golden Rams 72-58.
Savannah State had three players scoring in double digits, playing key roles in SSU’s win. Sophomore guard Javonte Landy excelled as a playmaker with 6 assists and 11 points. Junior forward Qua King had a strong performance, ending with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Junior guard Ajay Plain made a significant impact from the bench, scoring 10 points and demonstrating defensive prowess with five steals.
Zion Davis, the leading scorer for SSU, commented on his performance and talked about his role on the Savannah State Tigers.
“This year I gotta come in every game and give a hundred percent whether I score or not. I just gotta stay active on the defensive side.”
Savannah State is stepping up its basketball game lately. With a 12-12 record and the SIAC tournament approaching in two weeks, they’ve been performing impressively. A key factor is their offense, which has significantly improved. Despite initially ranking last in the SIAC conference with an average of 63.5 ppg, Savannah State has scored 70+ points in its last three wins. They’ve also maintained a strong defense, keeping opponents below 50 points in consecutive games.
Albany State’s top scorer was Sophomore guard Shakur Poteat with 21 points. Senior forward Jordan Simpson achieved his 7th double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Freshman guard Cameron Evans came in third with 10 points for the Golden Rams.
Savannah State dominated the Golden Rams in the first half, shooting 40%. They took an 18-8 lead at the 10:22 mark and continued shooting well while disrupting ASU’s offense with 22 points off turnovers. Their bench, led by junior guard Ajay Plain, contributed greatly with 20 points compared to Albany State’s 0. SSU held its largest lead at 31-17 with 2:04 remaining. The Golden Rams couldn’t match SSU’s offensive prowess, shooting 38% in the first half. The first half concluded with the Savannah State Tigers leading 36-24.
SSU maintained their momentum in the second half as sophomore forward Chancellor Wilson kicked off with four consecutive points, helping Savannah State widen their lead to 40-16. Albany State improved their field goal percentage to 52% in the 2nd half, a significant improvement from the 1st half. With 16:59 left, ASU reduced the deficit to 13 (29-42).
SSU responded with points from sophomore guard Zion Davis, whose bench performance proved too much for ASU. Davis, a native of Fort Valley, GA, scored 13 points in the half, concluding his impressive night. Savannah State continued its dominance, keeping Albany State from closing the gap to less than 10 points. SSU sealed the victory, defeating the Albany State Golden Rams 72-58.
Savannah State head coach Horace Broadnax expressed in exclusive comments to ClutchPoints about the team’s approach. “The guys were feeling pretty decent about themselves. It’s about confidence and the guys are putting up a little bit more shots on their off time. We’ve cut practice down to about an hour and 15 minutes and they are using this additional time to get up shots and it doesn’t help that we are at home. Just trying to get a good feel going into the SIAC tournament.”
Javonte Landy who finished with 11 points and 6 assists spoke about his play and the mindset he has when stepping on the basketball court. “[I] just try to give my hundred percent effort every time I step on the court. Give a lot of energy, it’s all about what’s inside of you, it’s nothing about skill, it’s just about effort.”
Albany State Golden Rams head to Jacksonville, FL to face Edward Waters University Tigers on Feb 26 at 7:30 PM at Adams-Jenkins Complex for their season finale.
Savannah State aims to finish strong as they host Fort Valley State Wildcats in Savannah, GA on Feb 26 at 7:30 PM in Tiger Arena.
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