A.J. Smith scored 23 points and Garfield Blair added 16 as Stetson defeated Savannah State 66-52 on Thursday night. The victory was the fourth in the last five games for Stetson (12-12), while Savannah State (12-13) has lost two straight. Chris Linton scored 11 points and Rashad Hassan 10 for the Tigers, who led by four at the break and early in the second half. But a 12-4 run, led by Blair's five points, started the Hatters' comeback. Eric Diaz's basket with 17:35 to play gave Stetson its first lead, 32-31. Stetson gradually expanding its margin from there behind Smith and Blair. Savannah State jumped to a quick 9-2 lead in the first 3 minutes, and pushed the margin to nine points behind Linton's inside play. Stetson used a pair of 3-pointers by Smith to help close the difference to 27-23 at halftime.
