ORANGEBURG, S.C.- Savannah State ended their regular season with a 90-87 win over South Carolina State as Jaquan Dotson scored a career-high 25 points.
Dotson made nine field goals, three 3-pointers and went 4 of 5 from the free throw line while grabbing eight rebounds for the Tigers.
Savannah State trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half before closing the period with a 12-5 run.
The Bulldogs led 48-44 at intermission.
SSU (11-19, 8-8 MEAC) would pull within two early in the second half only to have the Bulldogs respond with five straight points for a 56-49 lead.
The Tigers would rally to tie the game at 60-60 with 11:14 remaining and the contest would remain close the rest of the way.
South Carolina State would lead 84-80 with 1:30 left but eight unanswered points by the Tigers would give Savannah State a 88-84 lead with seven seconds remaining.
A trio of free throws by Jahmari Etienne would pull the Bulldogs within 88-87 with one second showing but Dotson would close the game with two free throws to preserve the victory.
The game had five ties and five lead changes in the second period.
The Tigers, who won the rebounding battle 35 to 29, shot 48.4 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc and 69.6 percent from the free throw line.
Etienne led all scorers with 26 points.
The crowd at the S-H-M Memorial Center saw South Carolina State (7-25, 5-11 MEAC) make 50.9 percent of their shots from the floor, 42.9 percent from beyond he arc and 82.8 percent from the free throw line.
