TUSKEGEE, Ala. — Tuskegee men's basketball earned its second straight victory on Saturday afternoon, defeating Benedict 52-46 inside the Daniel "Chappie" James Center in a game defined by disciplined defense, key second-half scoring runs, and timely execution.
The win moves the Golden Tigers to 6-2 on the season and 5-0 at home, while handing Benedict one of its lowest offensive outputs of the year.
The opening half unfolded as a grind-it-out defensive battle, with both teams struggling to generate rhythm. After Tuskegee grabbed a 13-6 lead midway through the half, Benedict chipped away, pulling within two possessions at 15-11.
The Golden Tigers pushed the margin back to seven with a three from
Khalil Genwright and closed the half up 24-15 with baskets from
Kusamae Draper to head into the locker room.
Tuskegee maintained control for nearly the entire afternoon, carrying a 24-15 lead into halftime after a dominant defensive first half and efficient scoring around the rim. The Golden Tigers then opened the second half with their largest lead of the game when
RJ Walker drilled a three from the left wing just 17 seconds into the period, extending the margin to 27-15. Benedict briefly answered with an 8-0 spurt fueled by a Hymon three and back-to-back transition baskets from Jamian Jackson, trimming Tuskegee's lead to 27-23, but the Tigers never surrendered the advantage.
Anthony Wright ended the run with a two-handed dunk at the 16:37 mark, restoring momentum and pushing the lead back to five.
Midway through the half, Benedict made another push, closing to within 31-29 after a pull-up from Jeffries. Tuskegee responded calmly again, Draper powered in a layup at 12:27, Bolton added a free throw, and Wright converted in transition to make it 36-31 with 9:28 remaining.
Benedict chipped away once more, tying the score at 39-39 with 3:34 to play after hitting four straight free throws and capitalizing on consecutive Tuskegee turnovers. Still, the Golden Tigers never trailed in the final minutes.
In one of the game's defining sequences, Walker buried a clutch second-chance corner three with 2:55 remaining to push Tuskegee back in front, 42-41. From there, the Golden Tigers closed the afternoon with poise and defensive toughness.
Genwright knocked down four straight free throws to stretch the lead to 44-41, then Wright scored on consecutive drives, including a key finish with 1:07 remaining, to make it 48-43. Genwright added one more basket in transition off a Walker steal. Walker then sealed the win at the line, sinking two free throws to push the lead back to six, securing the 52-46 victory as Tuskegee held Benedict without a field goal for the final minute.
Genwright led the team with 14 points and three rebounds, while Draper added 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
Up Next
Tuskegee returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 17, on the road against Savannah State, continuing SIAC play as they look to regroup.
