Box Score

TUSKEGEE, Ala. -- Down by 10 points with four minutes to go, in a tough road environment against your top rival, with a chance to clinch a division title on the line...you just give the ball to your top player and let him cook.

On Saturday, the Miles men's basketball team did just that. Led by Player of the Year candidate Alvin Miles, the Golden Bears erased a double-digit effort by pitching a shutout on the defensive end and scoring the final 12 points of the game to stun the crowd in Chappie James Arena and take home an electric 56-54 win over Tuskegee on national television to clinch a sixth straight SIAC West Division title. Miles (18-3, 14-1) has now won nine straight games, with the victory over the Golden Tigers (10-11, 8-7) showcasing another way that this team can dominate for stretches, even at the end of the game.

Tuskegee led for the entirety of the second half and when RJ Walker scored with four minutes on the clock, the Golden Tigers held a 54-44 advantage. The Golden Bears had missed seven of their last eight attempts and turned the ball over three times over the previous eight minutes and looked nothing like a team that had only lost one time since November 2024. But over those last four minutes, Miles found the formula that put an end to Tuskegee's upset attempt.

The final run started simple enough with two free throws by Alvin Miles, which had given him three straight points. The defense forces a turnover and Miles comes down and gets a bucket in the paint to cut the deficit to six points in less than a minute. A missed shot on the other end by the Golden Tigers turned into more points for the Golden Bears as Miles got the hoop and the foul on the ensuing possession. Suddenly, the jubilation from the Tuskegee crowd turned to angst as the Golden Bears, after the 3-point play, had quickly drawn to within 54-51 with 2:45 to go.

The defense continued to stand strong for the Golden Bears, forcing a miss, then getting a steal from Miles, who pushed it up the floor. Travarus Carroll had his shot blocked but Corey Trotter (six points, eight rebounds) grabbed the miss and put it back in to drop the Tuskegee lead to a single point with 1:44 remaining. The Golden Tigers tried to compose themselves with a time out but it did little to get them back on track. Another miss and the Golden Bears were back up the court. Miles was fouled on a shot attempt with 44 ticks left and after he drained the two freebies, the Golden Bears were up by 1, their first lead since the 13-minute mark in the first half.

Tuskegee still had a chance. After calling a timeout, they ran one more offensive set, which netted another missed jumper. Carroll (three points, five rebounds, two steals) was fouled and split two free throws to cap the 12-0 run. D'Anthony Pennington's game-tying jumper at the horn didn't fall for Tuskegee, which missed its last five shots and turned the ball over twice to complete the collapse and set off a small celebration for the Golden Bears as the stunned Tuskegee crowd headed for the exits.

Kevin Sesberry had 19 points and Pennington added 10 to lead Tuskegee. Miles had 23 points (his sixth 20-point game of the season), six rebounds, four steals and two assists to lead the Golden Bears, who also got contributions from Rylen Walker (eight points) and Najashi Tolefree (seven points, three rebounds, two steals). Miles is back in action on Monday as they face Spring Hill. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.