SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State cut a 15-point deficit to one but fell short in a 78-74 loss to Florida A&M in a game played at Tiger Arena before a crowd of 3,105.
 
With 12:39 left in the game, the Tigers trailed 65-50 but used a 24-10 spurt to get within 75-74 at the 1:36 mark.
 
FAMU finished the game with two free throws from Justin Ravenel and another from Tracey Hector to earn the win and get the season sweep of Savannah State (9-16, 6-5 MEAC).
 
Three of SSU's starters finished in double figures with Zach Sellers getting 16 points, Jaquan Dotson scoring 14 and Romani Hansen added 12.
 
Dotson had a team-high six rebounds and Sellers dished out five assists. Tyrell Harper came off the bench to get a game-high seven steals to compliment his nine points.
 
The game started out close but the Rattlers started to pull away as they broke a 9-9 tie with 14 unanswered points for a 23-9 advantage with 10:30 left.
 
The SSU deficit grew to 15 points with just under nine minutes remaining but two layups and a free throw by Harper and a layup by Adam Saeed pulled the Tigers within 30-22.
 
Florida A&M ran its lead back up to 14 and the Tigers could get no closer than nine as the Rattlers (11-16, 8-4 MEAC) went into the half with a 50-38 cushion.
 
A layup and a 3-pointer by Hansen to start the second half drew Savannah State within 50-43 but a 15-7 run by the visitors from Tallahassee would increased their lead to 65-50.
 
Ravenel led all scorers with 24 points while the Rattlers 7-foot-1 center Isaiah Martin added 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Savannah State shot 44.1 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc and 77.8 percent from the free throw line.
 
FAMU, which held a 38 to 29 rebounding edge, shot 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from beyond the arc and 76.5 percent from the free throw line.
 
TIP INS:
 
*  Zach Sellers extended his streak of scoring at least two points in a game to 56 games
 
* FAMU sweeps the season series against SSU.
 
* SSU outscored the Rattlers 36-28 in the second half
 
* The loss ends the Tigers four game win streak
 
*SSU's Andrew Okorodudu and FAMU's Ifeanyl Umezurike are both from Largos, Nigeria