TUSKEGEE, Ala. | The Tuskegee University men's basketball team battled back to take the lead late and withstood a last-second three-point attempt to record a 67-64 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over LeMoyne-Owen at Chappie James Arena Saturday afternoon.
 
James Eads led Tuskegee (10-6, 6-3 SIAC) with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor, including hitting on 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Camden Foster finished with a double-double as he scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while James Vinson and Elijah McMillian finished with 11 each.
 
The Golden Tigers shot 38.1 (24-of-63) percent from the floor, and 37.5 (12-of-32) percent from beyond the arc.
 
Meanwhile, LeMoyne-Owen was led by Demba Konate with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Justin Street finished with 13. RaShawn Brown and Larry McGaughey added 12 points for the Magicians who shot 38.8 (19-of-49) percent from the floor, including 41.7 (5-of-12) percent from beyond the arc.
 
The final four minutes had four lead changes, including when Eads calmly stepped to the line and drained a pair of free throws with 3:22 to play to put Tuskegee up by a point at 61-60. The lead stayed that way until the Magicians Justin Street knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:37 to play to give LeMoyne-Owen a 62-61 lead.
 
The Golden Tigers were able to tie the game at 62-all with 1:45 to play when Joshua Culver knocked the back end of a two-shot foul. James Vinson put the Golden Tigers up 65-62 when he knocked down a three from the corner with 45 seconds remaining.
 
After a pair of free throws from the Magicians, Culver knocked down one with 26.4 seconds to play to put Tuskegee up 66-64. After a Magicians turnover, Kevin May knocked down one of two free throws with just 9.6 seconds remaining to put Tuskegee up 67-64.
 
The remainder of the game was a game of runs.
 
The Golden Tigers trailed just one time in the first half after taking an early lead, when Demba Konate connected on a pair of free throws with 17:46 to play to give LeMoyne-Owen a 9-8 lead.
 
Following the free throws, Tuskegee went on a 7-0 run highlighted by baskets from Eads, Camden Foster and Thomas Massey to take a 15-9 lead with 15:04 remaining in the opening half.
 
After the Magicians closed to within a basket at 15-13, Tuskegee opened up another run – this one of the 10-0 variety. During the run that lasted three minutes and pushed the lead to 25-13 with 9:38 to play in the half in favor of the Golden Tigers. The run was highlighted by pair of three-pointers from senior James Vinson and Eads.
 
LeMoyne-Owen fought back to within three at 37-34, and had a chance to trim it even further but the final chance at basket was knocked away by Vinson as the horn went off signifying halftime.
 
The two teams traded baskets for the first eight minutes of the second half until Jerry Hampton scored his first points of the game. Hampton finished off a missed lay-up with a dunk, and then finished off a fast break with another with 11:52 to play in the game to give LeMoyne-Owen a 46-45 lead. The lead was extended to seven on a pair of three-pointers from Larry McGaughey (52-45), finishing off a 10-0 run for the Magicians.
 
A free throw from Joshua Culver and put back from Foster stopped the run and pulled the Golden Tigers back to within four at 52-48 with 9:23 to play in the game.  After a Magicians basket, Foster drained a three from the corner to pull the Golden Tigers to within three at 54-51 with 7:51 to play in the game.
 
Tuskegee kept chipping away at the lead, pulling within a basket following a Foster three that trimmed the deficit to 56-54 with under six minutes to play. Eads tied the game up on a drive with just over five minutes to play. The freshman put the Golden Tigers back on top 59-58 with 4:12 to play in the contest setting the stage for the final four minutes of action.
 
Tuskegee returns to action on the road Thursday night at Fort Valley State University, tip is scheduled for 8 pm (est).
 
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