Johnson's late play saves Miles
Box Score
Joshua Johnson scored the last four points of the game - the final two coming with with 4.8 seconds remaining - as Miles survived a 66-64 win over rival Tuskegee Saturday afternoon at Bill Harris Arena.
Shaquille Cook (16 points, 11 rebounds) had his third straight double-double. He also got credit for blocking Daniel Roach's shot at the horn that would have sent the game into overtime. The win was the third in the last four games for Miles (4-17, 4-6 SIAC) and pulled it past Tuskegee (5-17, 4-9) in the SIAC Western Division standings.
The game was tight throughout. Neither team led by more than six points and there were 10 ties and 17 lead changes. Miles led 35-34 at the half and looked as if it would pull away when Cook scored with just more than four minutes remaining to give the Golden Bears a 58-54 lead, their biggest of the game. Two minutes later, though, Elijah McMillan (14 points, nine rebounds) would drain a 3-pointer and the game was tied at 62.
The Golden Tiger would hold a 64-62 lead with 30 seconds left before an exciting end-of-game sequence. Johnson (nine points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals) would knock down a big jumper to tie the game but inexplicably told
Carl Garcia to foul Tuskegee's Travis Flagg. But Flagg would miss both freebies, which was part of a 12-of-22 showing from the charity stripe for Tuskegee, and set up Johnson's heroics.
James Eads scored 11 points for Tuskegee.
Sheldon Wright and
Carl Garcia each had 10 points while
KeAndre Swopes added nine points and five rebounds for Miles, which plays at Albany State next Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for noon.
