By: Chris Megginson, Sports Information (SID2Go) Stillman
DALTON, Ga. – Stillman College rallied with a 13-1 run in the final three minutes Saturday to spoil Dalton State College’s homecoming with a 74-68 road victory. The win gives Stillman its second sweep of a Southern States Athletic Conference opponent and completes its fifth series out of nine in the SSAC.
Trailing by six, 67-61, Trey Petty, Londell King and Devin Merriweather scored on three-straight possessions to give Stillman 68-67 lead with 1:17 left. The Tigers closed out the game, hitting 3-of-5 free throws and a late jumper by Petty to secure the win.
Merriweather, who scored 18 in the game, hit a jumper to open the game followed by a steal and basket, then a 3-pointer by Petty to give Stillman a 7-0 lead out of the gate. While Dalton State pulled it to two points, the Tigers maintained their lead until 6:09 left in the first half when Rodley Adjei hit a jumper to follow a Nasir Cassel 3-pointer to give Dalton a 20-19 lead. It was 27-21 Dalton State before Petty and Tomias Brand each hit a 3-pointer to tie it, 27-27, with 1:19 left in the half. The lead swapped per possession to close the half, with Adjei hitting a 3 to send the Roadrunners into halftime up 32-30.
There were 10 lead changes and four ties through the first 10 minutes of the second half. Dalton State worked the lead up to six, 53-59, with 6:33 remaining before Stillman scored six-straight to tie it. The Roadrunners once again built a six-point lead, 67-61, with 3:09 left. That’s when Stillman cranked it up.
Petty completed the day with 19 points to lead all players, his second-most of the season. Brand and Derrick Finklea each scored eight, followed by King’s eight and seven by EJ Galloway.
Finklea and Merriweather dished out six and five assists, respectively.
Dalton State was led by Cassel’s 19 points, 16 by Adjei and 13-point game by Donavan Miller.
Stillman (16-4, 8-4 SSAC) will complete its weekend road trip to Georgia with a makeup game at Middle Georgia State University on Monday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. ET before returning home Feb. 10 to host Oakwood University at 8 p.m. CT.
Trey Petty (File Photo by David Miller)
