FORT VALLEY, Ga. -- With a 13-point lead and less than 90 seconds remaining, Miles looked like it was on its way to an easy win over Fort Valley State.

The Wildcats, though, had some other plans. Using a fullcourt press that forced multiple turnovers, they had a chance to tie late. But Miles was able to escape with a 71-67 win at HPE Arena Tuesday night. It's the second straight win for the Golden Bears (10-3, 5-2 SIAC West) and fourth consecutive road win over FVSU (3-13, 1-6 SIAC East) dating to 2016.

A 3-point play from Jelani Watson-Gayle had given Miles a 67-54 lead with 1:27 left. But things began to unravel from there. After a defensive rebound on the ensuing possession, Miles turned it over and the Wildcats quickly converted to start the comeback. Two consecutive turnovers for the Golden Bears were, again, turned into points and FVSU had cut its deficit to 67-60 with 46 seconds remaining.

Watson-Gayle (11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) was fouled and would split two free throws for a brief respite. But the Wildcats would quickly push the ball up the floor and score, got a steal, and found Zachary Boggs for a 3-pointer that tightened the score to 68-65 with 28 seconds remaining. Richard Feagin and Boggs would both make two free throws on consecutive possessions to keep the three-point margin with 10 seconds left.

Miles again tried to get the ball out of the backcourt but Kenneth Franklin stole a Frank Royles pass and had a good look from the top of the 3-point arc to tie the game. But his shot was too strong and on the scramble for the rebound, it was Watson-Gayle who came up with the loose ball and he was fouled with one second remaining. He would make 1-of-2 free throws to secure the victory for the Golden Bears.

Even with all the late drama, Miles never trailed in the game. Fort Valley missed 15-of-19 shots from the field in the first half but the Golden Bears could not find their own rhythm in the first half. Avery Brown scored 12 of his game-high 26 points in the opening period but the Golden Bears turned the ball over 12 times and the Wildcats were 12-of-14 from the charity stripe to keep the Miles lead to just 23-20 at halftime.

In the second half, though, the Golden Bears were able to get in sync. With the lead down to two points early, Miles went on a 12-0 run over a three-minute span, with a steal and layup by Feagin giving Miles a 38-24 advantage with 13:44 to go. A Ryan Calhoun bucket at the 12-minute mark extended the lead to 16 points - the largest of the game - and Miles actually finished the game making 10 of its last 11 shots from the field and shot 68 percent (17-of-25) in the second half.

Boggs had 12 points and Tristan Davis added 10 points for Fort Valley State. Royles (13 points, 4 rebounds) and Braeden Stewart (10 points, game-high 8 rebounds) were among the top scorers for Miles, which plays at Tuskegee on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.