CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Savannah State shot 61.5 percent from beyond the arc but it was not enough to overcome a 30-point performance by Johnson C. Smith's Betsey Burnett as the Golden Bulls defeated SSU 75-71 in overtime. The game was played November 10, 2024 as part of the CIAA/SIAC Challenge in Brayboy Gymnasium.

The non-conference loss was the first of the season for the Lady Tigers (1-1).

The contest went into overtime knotted at 65. JCSU took a 70-65 lead but Savannah State answered with six straight points as Jashiyah Jones hit a jumper and Mya Byrd nailed four free throws for a 71-70 advantage with 1:58 showing on the clock. SSU would not score again and the Golden Bulls closed the game with the final five points to get the win.

Byrd led Savannah State with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jones came off the bench to spark the team with 17 points, making seven of eight shots from the field and going three for three beyond the arc while Alayah Birch contributed 15 points and six rebounds.

The teams were neck and neck in the first quarter with JCSU leading 16-15 as the first ten minutes of play came to an end.

Birch opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to give SSU a two point lead but Johnson C. Smith responded and went ahead 25-20 before the Lady Tigers tied the game at 25 with a layup and a free throw from Jayden Boykin followed by a jumper by Jones.

Down 30-29 with 2:36 left in the first half, SSU ended the second quarter on a 6-1 spurt with Byrd and Birch scoring three points apiece to give the Orange & Blue a 35-31 halftime advantage.

A jumper by Jaliyah Harper to start the third quarter pushed Savannah State's lead to six but JCSU was able to fight back and tie the game at 39 with 5:28 on the clock.

SSU broke the tie with a layup from K'yla Hankerson, a free throw by Jazmin Thornton and two free throws from Boykin to go ahead 44-39 with 1:21 left in the third quarter.

Johnson C. Smith would not go away and Savannah State held a slim 46-45 edge as the teams entered the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter had eight ties and neither team led by more than three points.

With the score tied at 60, a layup in the paint by Birch put SSU ahead by two but the Golden Bulls answered by going ahead by one, thanks to a three point play by Burnett with 57 seconds left.

JCSU's lead did not last long because Amani Hamilton hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to put Savannah State in front 65-63. Following a timeout by the Golden Bulls, Burnett made a jumper with nine seconds remaining to tie the game and force an extra period of play.

As a team, Savannah State shot 49 percent from the field. The Lady Tigers made 57.1 percent of their shots in the second quarter and 70 percent in the fourth quarter.

SSU will play their home opener in Tiger Arena on November 14 against Trinity Baptist at 7 p.m.