Albany, Ga. — In front of an electric winter Homecoming crowd at the Jones Brothers HPER Complex, the
Albany State Golden Rams delivered a commanding 73-52 victory over
Fort Valley State, securing their second consecutive win over their rival and claiming the top spot in the SIAC East Division. With the win, Albany State improved to 14-7 overall and 11-3 in SIAC play, while Fort Valley dropped to 7-14 overall and 6-7 in the conference.
From the opening tip, the Golden Rams took control, feeding off the high-energy home crowd. Albany State's defensive intensity and sharp shooting set the tone early as the Rams built a 40-23 halftime lead.
Shakur Poteat and
Kendale Johnson spearheaded the offensive attack, knocking down key shots from beyond the arc. The Golden Rams shot an impressive 58.3% (7-of-12) from three-point range in the first half, creating a gap that Fort Valley struggled to close.
Fort Valley attempted to mount a comeback in the second half, but Albany State's defense held firm, limiting the Wildcats to 33.3% shooting from the field. The Golden Rams dominated the rebounding battle, outrebounding Fort Valley 43-30, with
Blaise Wallace pulling down a game-high 13 boards. Albany State remained poised down the stretch, maintaining their lead and converting crucial free throws to seal the win.
The Golden Rams' strong defensive effort and efficient ball movement played a key role in their success, forcing 10 turnovers and holding Fort Valley to just 15.8% (3-of-19) from three-point range.
Poteat led the charge with 15 points, five assists, and three 3-pointers, while
G'Shan Aldridge added 16 points, shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
Kendale Johnson contributed 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc, while
Cameron Evans (nine points) and
Blaise Wallace (eight points) combined for 17 points, with Wallace just shy of a dominant double-double.
UP NEXT
The Golden Rams will aim to defend their home court during a rematch against Morehouse College on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. The Rams previously defeated Morehouse in an overtime thriller on January 27. With momentum on their side, this matchup presents a critical opportunity for the Golden Rams to secure first place in the SIAC East standings. This conference rematch is essential for both teams.
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 11 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's soccer, baseball, and football with all teams compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), except women's soccer, which participates in the Peach Belt Conference.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.