SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University men's basketball team (4-4) used a 7-0 run in the final minute of the game to defeat in-state rival Georgia Southern 76-67 in Tiger Arena Wednesday night. With the win, the Tigers improved to 4-0 at home.
 
With the Tigers clinging to a two-point lead, 69-67, with 51 seconds remaining in the game, junior guard Casey Wells gave a cushion for SSU with a three-pointer to extends its lead to five, 72-67, with 25 seconds left.  After a missed Eagle layup, junior guard Javaris Jenkins added two free throws and a Tiger layup by sophomore guard Khalen Pinkett capped the scoring to give the Tigers a nine-point win. 
 
Graduate student guard Christopher Martin led the Tigers with 18 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-4 at the 3-point line and 8-for-10 at the free throw line.  Junior guard Troyce Manassa added 16 points and five rebounds, while Jenkins added 12 points and five rebounds and freshman guard Kamil Williams added 10 points. 
 
The first half was close as neither team had a lead of more than five points.  Georgia Southern started the game with a three-pointer, but was followed by a Wells three-pointer to tie the game at three with 18:32 remaining in the first half.  The Tigers captured a four-point lead, 11-7, with 12:42 remaining, but after back-to-back Eagle layups, tied the score at 11 with 12:12 left. 
 
After two Eagle free throws to tie the game at 18, the Tigers took a five-point lead, 23-18, with 7:45 remaining after a three-pointer and a jumper by Jenkins, but the Eagles bounced back to tie it at 23 after a three-pointer and a jumper with 6:12 left.  The Tigers finished the first half with a 6-1 run to lead at the half by five, 37-32.  Jenkins and Martin led SSU with eight points each, while Manassa and Williams added six points each during the first half.
 
The Tigers scored four of the first five points in the second half to increase its lead to eight, 41-33, with 18:42 remaining in the game.  With SSU holding a four-point lead, 51-47, with 10:48 remaining, the Tigers scored the next six points from two free throws from Manassa, a three-pointer and a free throw from Williams to lead by 10 points, 57-47, with 8:58 remaining in the game.
 
The Tigers also had a 10-point lead at 59-49 with 8:22 remaining, but the Eagles outscored SSU 11-1 to tie the game at 60 with 4:43 left in the game and took a point lead, 61-60, after a free throw to finish up the three point play.  
 
A three-point shot by Martin gave the Tigers a lead to start a 7-1 run by the Tigers to lead by five points, 67-62, with 2:43 remaining.  An Eagle three-pointer cut the lead to two, 67-65, with 2:22 remaining and both teams scored two points to keep an SSU lead to two points, 69-67, with 51 seconds left.  Then the Tigers rattled off the final seven points to take home the nine-point win.
 
The Eagles were led by Ike Smith and Tookie Brown each scored 13 points, while Smith led the team with seven rebounds.  Jason Burnell added nine points and three rebounds.
 
The Tigers play their final home game of the 2015 year on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Eastern Kentucky in Tiger Arena.