ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Benedict College men's basketball team are headed back to the SIAC Championship game for the first time since 2015 after upsetting defending champion Miles College 66-49 on Friday in the semifinals at the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center.

Benedict held 19^th-ranked Miles (24-4), the top seed from the West Division, to just 25.9 percent shooting (14-of-54), including just 18.5 percent (5-of-27) in the second half.

Benedict, now 22-6, advances to the championship game to face Savannah State at 8 p.m. Savannah State, the third seed from the East, upset Morehouse, the top seed from the East, 60-59, in Friday's other semifinal.

Timothy Bing Jr. led the Tigers with 23 points, while dishing out five assists. Malachi McCoy chipped in 16 points, while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.

The Tigers scored the first seven points of the game, but Miles rallied to take their first lead of the game, 19-17, after a 3-pointer by Yasim Hooker. The Tigers scored the next eight points on a pair of 3-pointers by McCoy and Bing, as well as a layup by McCoy. Miles pulled ahead 26-25, their final lead of the game, but the Tigers closed out the half with five straight points, including a 3-pointer by Bing, for a 31-26 advantage.

Benedict had a 35-30 lead early in the second half before going on a 9-1 run to take a 13-point lead on a dunk by McCoy with 15 minutes left in the game, and Benedict maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Benedict swept Savannah State in their two regular-season contests. Benedict won 80-74 in Columbia on Jan. 22, then edged out a 60-58 overtime victory in Savannah on Feb. 14.

Post-game Press Conference