SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Lady Rams made the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East's top team take notice Saturday afternoon. Albany State hung tough until Savannah State went on to take a 65-55 women's basketball win.

ASU led three times in the first 10 minutes and tied the game both with five minutes left of the second quarter before retying the contest out of the half on a Yasmine Fairchild 3-point play at 30-30. Savannah State, though, needed the final six tallies of the third period and first two points of the final quarter for some separation, 52-42. The Lady Rams made a final charge to pull within six points, 61-55, but they could not get closer from there.

Leading the charge, Elisa Saffold led the ASU offense with a 6 for 10 contest, including a trio of treys, for 15 points to go with four assists and a pair of steals. Milana Holmes connected on 6 of 14 attempts for 14 tallies to go with six boards and two helpers. Keyra Peterson contributed nine points and seven rebounds. Johanna Bell chipped in seven points with a 3-pointer finding the net.

Nyla Allen drove the lane and led Savannah State with 16 points.

After the opening two buckets went for the Lady Tigers, the Lady Rams edged ahead for the first time with the next five points with a Saffold triple, 5-4. She added a second trey a minute later with 6:19 in the first quarter and an 8-5 ASU edge. The visitors held one more lead, 11-10, and then a tie at 14-14 on a Holmes jumper at 1:47.

Savannah State ran six points in a row for a 22-15 advantage in the early second period moments. ASU did answer with its own seven consecutive points to tie the game at 24-24 with 5:27 before half.

Down 30-27 at intermission, Fairchild tied the game for the final time at 30-30 only 13 seconds in the second half. Late in the third, Bell drained a jumper as ASU kept the heat on the home team in what was a 44-42 score at 1:48.

ASU will wrap up its regular season docket on Monday evening, Feb. 26, in a 5:30 p.m. tip at Edward Waters.