SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State opened the 2026 portion of their schedule with a 74-72 overtime loss to Fort Valley State on Thursday evening at Tiger Arena.

It was the Lady Tigers third loss in a row as they fall to 6-5 overall and 5-5 in conference play.

Savannah State erased a double digit deficit in the second half by outscoring the Wildcats in the third and fourth quarters to force overtime.

Jaliyah Harper opened the overtime period with back-to-back layups to give SSU a 69-65 lead but Fort Valley State scored the next five points to take a one point lead with just over a minute left.

A jumper and a free throw from Ansley Hicks put Savannah State ahead 72-70 with 17 seconds remaining but Aaniyah Allen made back-to-back layups for FVSU including the game winner with five seconds showing on the clock.

Jayden Boykin attempted a 3-pointer for the Lady Tigers at the buzzer but it was no good.

Savannah State got off to a hot start with a 10-2 lead in the first quarter but went cold as the Wildcats reeled off a 14-0 run for a 16-10 advantage. FVSU led 18-16 at the end of the opening quarter.

SSU trailed by as many as eight in the second quarter and went into intermission down 34-27.

A 3-pointer by FVSU to start the third quarter gave the Wildcats a 10-point lead but Savannah State used a 13-4 spurt to pull within 41-40. 

Down 45-42,  3-pointer by Jazmin Thornton tied the game at 45 with 1:37 showing on the clock.

Fort Valley State finished the quarter with the final five points to take a 50-45 lead into the fourth quarter.

Jumpers by Hicks and Harper to begin the fourth quarter drew SSU within 50-49 and following a basket by the Wildcats, a 3-pointer by Thornton knotted the game at 52 with 7:52 left.

SSU found themselves trailing 61-56 with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter but a 3-pointer and a jumper by Boykin tied the game at 61. 

Another jumper by Boykin with 51 seconds left tied the game at 63 and a layup by Harper with 17 seconds left tied the game at 65 which sent the contest into overtime.

Boykin led four SSU players in double figures with 20 points. Harper and Hicks finished with 14 points each and Thornton ended the night with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals.

Raven Birt and Haylee Malcum both added 4 points, Sanai Chisholm scored 3 points and Makaila Johnson hit a free throw.

Savannah State will host Clark Atlanta on January 10 at 2 p.m. in Tiger Arena.

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