COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College Tigers stormed back from a 27-point second-half deficit to get within two points with 21 seconds left, but Tuskegee closed out the game at the free throw line to escape with a 71-65 victory in a SIAC men's basketball game on Saturday afternoon in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
 
The Tigers got off to a cold shooting afternoon, connecting on just 6-of-23 (26 percent) in the first half, but got hot in the second half, shooting 18-of-28 (64.29 percent). Tuskegee scored the final 11 points of the first half to take a 38-17 lead at the break.
 
Tuskegee (17-4 overall, 16-3 SIAC) built its largest lead of the game, 46-19, with 16:53 remaining in the game. Benedict then outscored the Golden Tigers 46-25 over the rest of the game.
 
Benedict went on a 13-0 run late in the game, capped off with a layup, and then a 3-pointer, by Caleb Hymon to make it 67-65 with 21 seconds remaining. Tuskegee got a pair of free throws with 16 seconds remaining. Benedict missed a 3-pointer, but Kameron Foman got the rebound and was fouled. Foman missed both free throws with five seconds left, and Tuskegee sealed the game with a pair of free throws with two seconds on the clock.
 
Cristian Willis scored a season-high 14 points, hitting four 3-pointers, for the Tigers, who fall to 8-10 overall and 8-10 in the SIAC. Tareeq Anderson added 13 points. Hymon, Landon Jeffries and Cole White all contributed 10 points each.
 
Benedict travels to Memphis, Tenn., to take on LeMoyne-Owen in a makeup contest at 7 p.m. Central Time on Monday.