CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. | Jacoby Ross paced four players in double figures against Savannah State, but the Tigers proved too much down the stretch as they pulled away for a 101-97 victory over Alabama State at the Cayman Islands Classic – Chattanooga Bracket Tuesday evening.
 
Ross led Alabama State (0-6) with a career-high 20 points, hitting five three-pointers and dishing out three assists. Reginald Gee added 19, connecting on four three-pointers, while Gene Davis and Branden Johnson each added 11. Johnson finished with his first double-double of his career with 11 rebounds.
 
Meanwhile, Dexter McClanahan led Savannah State (2-3) with 17 points off the bench. Isaiah Felder and Alante Fenner each added 16, with Fenner hitting all 10 of his free throw attempts. Zach Sellers chipped in 14 and Marcus Glenn 10 for the Tigers.
 
Trailing 83-74, Ross took over the game for the Hornets as he trimmed the lead to just one with a pair of three-pointers and a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 3:52 to play (87-86). After a three-pointer from Savannah State extended the lead to 90-86, Gee trimmed the deficit to 90-88 with 2:45 to play on a pair of free throws.
 
Alabama State had a chance to tie the game with 2:29 to play but missed a free throw, and then turned the ball over following an inbounds play. Savannah State took advantage and closed the game scoring nine of the game's final 15 points.
 
After falling behind early, Alabama State battled their way back into the game as they pulled to within a pair when Gee knocked down a three-pointer with nine minutes to play in the opening half to cut the deficit to 23-21. He would knock down another three with 7:57 to play in the opening half to give Alabama State their first lead at 24-23.
 
Savannah State went on an 11-0 run to build a 34-24 lead until Gene Davis knocked down a three with 5:38 to play in the half to trim the deficit to 34-27. The Hornets would trim the deficit to 34-29 on a Tobi Ewuosho lay-up with 5:10 to play in the half. They would pull to within four with 4:25 to play in the half on a Ewuosho three-pointer (36-32), but that is as close as they would get in the opening half as Savannah State closed the half on a 9-2 run for a 45-36 halftime lead.
 
The Hornets scored 10 of the first 15 points in the second half to close to within 50-46 with 17:49 to play in the game, and closed to within three at 53-50 on a Terrance LeFlore three-pointer with 16:04 to play. However, Savannah State answered with 21-8 run over the next five minutes to pull away at 74-58.
 
Alabama State was able trim the deficit to 78-70 with a barrage of three-pointers from Gene Davis and Jacoby Ross, before Savannah State got a basket before the media timeout with 7:11 to play to push the deficit to 10 (80-70). The Hornets continued to fight as they trimmed the deficit to six at 80-74 with just over six minutes to play before they mounted a comeback in the final minutes.
 
Alabama State ended the night shooting 48.6 (35-of-72) percent from the floor and 45.5 (15-of-33) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 66.7 (12-of-18) percent from the free throw line, while Savannah State ended the night 42.5 (31-of-73) percent from the floor and 41.7 (15-of-36) percent from beyond the arc.
 
Alabama State is off until Monday when they head north to face 12th-ranked Cincinnati at BB&T Arena in Newport (Ky.). The game tips at 7 pm (est) and can be seen on ESPNU.
 
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