ALBANY, Ga. – Santera Grooms scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Benedict College Lady Tigers to a 65-58 victory over Albany State University on Tuesday night in the ASU HPER Gymnasium.

Cierra Moore added 11 points for the Lady Tigers, who improved to 15-7 overall and 13-6 in the SIAC. Brittany Jackson had a team-high 11 rebounds.

Benedict built a 10-point lead midway through the first half on a 3-pointer by Grooms for a 22-12 lead, but Albany State cut the lead to 24-20 on a 3-pointer by April Thomas. Benedict then scored nine straight points, capped by a 3-pointer by Monique Weathers for a 33-20 lead with 3:13 left in the half. The Lady Tigers had a 38-26 lead at the half.

In the second half, Benedict scored six straight points after Albany State had cut the lead to 52-48 to push the lead back to 10 points.

The Lady Golden Rams cut the lead to 60-55 after a pair of free throws by Symone Wilkerson with 1:32 left to play, but couldn't get any closer. Grooms hit a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left and two more with 19 seconds left to push Benedict's lead to 64-55. After a 3-pointer by Albany State's Kourtney Alexander with seven seconds left, Brittany Jackson closed out the game with a free throw.

Albany State fell to 8-15 overall and 8-11 in the SIAC. Thomas led the Lady Golden Rams with 22 points, while Wilkerson added 13.

Benedict travels to face Fort Valley State, the league co-leader, on Thursday.