Freshman Jalen Fisher hit a pair of free throws with 40 seconds remaining to give the Kentucky State University men's basketball team its first lead of the game, and Fisher connected on four straight down the stretch to secure the 75-72 comeback victory over Fort Valley State in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at the William Exum Center Saturday.

Once down 20 in the second half, the Thorobreds slowly chipped away before Fisher (Ypsilanti, Mich.) gave them the lead from the charity stripe.

Kentucky State (6-7 overall, 3-3 SIAC) improves to 5-1 at home on the season, while Fort Valley State falls to 3-11 overall, 1-4 SIAC.
 
Turning Point
Trailing by 20 points, Kentucky State scored on five straight possessions to cut its deficit to 11 points. A three-point play by senior Shaq Athie (Cincinnati, Ohio) started swinging the momentum.

Individual Leaders
Junior guard Bradlee Lewis (Chicago, Ill.) came off the bench for a career-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three-point range. While his points were imperative to the bottom line, it was his defensive energy that kept Kentucky State in the game early. He finished with a career-high five steaks.

Senior guard Grant Goode (Matawan, N.J.) led the team with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Athie and Fisher talled 12 points each.

Athie dished out four assists and four steals, while graduate guard Felix Wilson (Lexington, Ky.) added four assists.

Coach Speak
"We showed a lot of heart," said Kentucky State University head coach Jamaal Jackson. "If we get in that position again, hopefully we won't, they know the game is never over – it's a 40-minute game."

Inside the Box Score
Kentucky State scored 33 points off 26 Fort Valley State turnovers, forcing 15 of the 26 miscues in the second half.

Fort Valley State shot 52.4 percent (33-of-63) from the floor, but shot just 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from three-point land, while the Thorobreds shot 42.9 percent (25-of-56) from the field.

Kentucky State was out-rebounded 43-26 which led to the Wildcats outscoring KSU 18-12 in second chance points.

The game was only tied once with one lead change as KSU led for just 40 seconds.

Next Up
The Thorobreds host Clark Atlanta 7:30 p.m. Monday in SIAC action. The Panthers improved to 5-1 in the conference on its fourth straight win after beating Central State, 82-69.