Sellers, Smith pace Savannah State to 92-88 squeaker

Jan 27, 2019, 01:47 am

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Zaquavian Smith scored 20 points and was wide open to throw down an authoritative two-handed dunk with 11 seconds remaining and Savannah State fended off South Carolina State 92-88 Saturday night.

Zach Sellers led Savannah State with 29 points, hitting 10 of 16 shots and sinking all seven of his free throws. Joseph Collins added 10 points for the Tigers (5-14, 2/3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

Ozante Fields scored 16 points to lead five South Carolina State players into double-digit scoring. Lavar Harewood and Damni Applewhite scored 14 apiece, Allen Hatchett, Jr. 13 and Jahmari Etienne 10.

Savannah State led by as many as 13 points and for nearly the entire game. South Carolina State, which trailed by as many as 10 three times in the second half, cut the gap to 72-71 on a Janai Raynor-Powell 3-pointer with 8:49 remaining. From there, it was largely a one-possession game.

S.C. State (4-18, 2-4) closed to 90-88 on an Applewhite dunk with 1:13 remaining, but missed its last three shots.