COLUMBIA, S.C. – Kentucky State men's basketball led at halftime and traded momentum throughout the second half, but a late surge by Allen proved decisive as the Thorobreds fell 86-78.
 
The duo of Sean Paige and Jeramiah Israel led Kentucky State with 17 points each. Teammate Gregory Melvin finished with 16 points, and Aziel Blackwell added 11.
 
Both teams finished the contest with 31 rebounds, but Blackwell had a game-high eight rebounds.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, with the score tied six times and the lead changing seven. Kentucky State turned an 11-point run into a double-digit 33-23 lead at the 5:53 mark of the first half. Although the Yellow Jackets managed to respond, tying the game and briefly taking the lead, a pair of back-to-back scoring possessions gave the Thorobreds a 41-36 halftime advantage.
 
Near the midway point of the second half, Keon Henderson scored on a pair of Yellow Jacket turnovers to put the Thorobreds ahead 64-53 with 9:57 remaining.
 
Allen tied the game and took a 73-72 lead with a pair of made free throws to begin its second scoring surge. Although the Thorobreds briefly regained a 76-75 lead with 1:34 remaining, the Yellow Jackets answered with a nine-point run to take an eight-point lead with just 14 seconds left in regulation. Allen managed to fend off the Thorobreds with a pair of made free throws in the final seconds to secure the 86-78 win.
 
UP NEXT
Due to the upcoming winter weather, the Thorobreds will now play Benedict, tomorrow Jan. 23 at 2:00 p.m. in Columbia, South Carolina.
 
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