BIRMINGHAM, Ga. (February 28, 2019)– The Albany State University men's basketball team put the clamps on Lane College to take a 73-65 SIAC men's basketball quarterfinal matchup victory at Bill Harris Arena on Thursday.
The Golden Rams held the Dragons Vikings to 41.1 percent shooting in gaining the double-digit win. The win puts Albany State (14-15 overall) in the semifinal round where they face Miles College at 3:15 p.m. (CST) on Friday, March 1st.
On Thursday, the Golden Rams displayed their defensive talent against the Dragons, who were coming off a two-point win over Benedict College the night before. The Dragons opened with a four-point first-half lead before the Golden Rams handcuffed their opponent. An early deficit turned into a seven-point lead for Albany State, who went into the locker room ahead 36-23 at halftime.
The Golden Rams continued to stifle the Dragons in the second half. The Dragons scored the first bucket of the half to cut their deficit to two, but it was all Golden Rams from that point. A tip-in by Randy McClure capped a 12-point lead by Albany State, who led 64-52 with 4:28 remaining.
The Golden Rams scored just enough points to keep their distance from Lane. Jared Harrington paced the Golden Rams with a game-high 28 points. Randy McClure contributed 14 points, followed by Tyrell Williams who contributed 12 points. Albany State shot 43.1 percent including 39.1 percent in the second half.
Kendarius Ash scored 19 points for the Dragons.
Harrington scored 12 points and Williams added 10 points in the first half for Albany State. The Golden Rams got support from their bench to outscore the Dragons reserves 17-13.
Kendarius Ash kept the Dragons within striking distance with adding two points and nine rebounds in the second half. Ash scored 19 points for Lane, who shot 41.1 percent from the floor.
The Dragons, seeded third in the Western Division, concluded their season with a 15-11 overall record.
The last time the men's basketball team made an appearance in the semifinal round at the SIAC basketball tournament was during the 2006-2007 season.
