SIAC Tournament: Tuskegee claims championship with OT win against Fort Valley State

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Down seven points with about 8:30 to go in the second half.

Down five with less than four to go in the second half.

Tuskegee just kept coming.

The Golden Tigers clawed their way back late on their way to an 88-80 overtime victory against Fort Valley State in the SIAC men's basketball championship game Saturday night at the Birmingham Crossplex's Bill Harris Arena.

Tied at 75 at the end of regulation, Tuskegee outscored the Wildcats 13-5 in the extra time.

"We've been through a lot, as a group, and we persevered mainly because of the efforts and the hard work of these young men," eighth-year coach Leon Douglas said. "From Day 1, from the initial day when we started, we had turmoil. But we stayed together as a group. We stayed steadfast. We kept working and working and working and working. That's the bottom line."

Douglas added: "Like one of our smaller guys would say, 'We finally got a chance to eat'.



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