Albany, GA – In an electrifying SIAC Tournament First Round matchup, the #3 seed Albany State Golden Rams battled through double overtime to defeat the #6 seed Lane College Dragons 105-102 inside The Arena at West Campus. With the victory, the Golden Rams improved to 18-11 overall (15-7 SIAC) and advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face Tuskegee University on Thursday, March 6, at 8:00 PM in Atlanta, GA.
 
The game was a thriller from start to finish, featuring 10 lead changes and eight ties as both teams refused to back down.
 
In the first half, Lane College took a slim 43-41 lead into the break, fueled by the strong play of Christopher Matthews, who knocked down four three-pointers. Albany State stayed close behind, relying on Shakur Poteat's aggressive play and Blaise Wallace's dominance in the paint.
 
The second half saw Albany State erasing a five-point deficit late, forcing overtime at 82-82 after Jabari Williams' clutch dunk and a game-tying tip-in from Lane's Rico Sain II at the buzzer.
 
The first overtime saw both teams trading buckets, with Kendale Johnson hitting a huge three-pointer, but Lane responded to force another extra period at 94-94.
 
In the second overtime, Albany State sealed the win with key defensive stops and clutch free throws by Poteat and Wallace. With just seconds remaining, Poteat knocked down a free throw to put the game out of reach, securing the 105-102 victory and punching ASU's ticket to the quarterfinals.
 
Top Performers

• Shakur Poteat: 27 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL
• Blaise Wallace: 21 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST
• Kendale Johnson: 16 PTS, 5-9 3PT
• G'Shan Aldridge: 15 PTS, 9 AST, 4 STL
• Jabari Williams: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 3 BLK

Up Next
With this thrilling first-round win, the Golden Rams now shift their focus to the SIAC Quarterfinals, where they will take on Tuskegee University on Thursday, March 6, at 8:00 PM in Atlanta, GA.
 
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently field teams in 11 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's soccer, baseball, and football. All teams compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), except women's soccer, which participates in the Peach Belt Conference.