ORANGEBURG, SC—Senior forward Damani Applewhite scored 22 points to lead South Carolina State to an, 81-65, victory over Florida A&M Saturday (Jan. 18^th) at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.
 
Applewhite finished shooting 6 of 8 from the field and missed just one of 11 attempted foul shots, while grabbing nine rebounds in the win.
 
"First off big "Thank You" to all the fans that packed S-H-M today. I told the guys Coach Buddy Pough brings the people and cameras out," said head coach Murray Garvin." That's what winning championships do for all of us here at SC State."
 
Garvin noted, "I thought the second-half was some of the best basketball we have played all season. We are most proud of the defense we played and the key stops we made down the stretch."
 
Teammates Jahmari Etienne finished with 12 points while Zach Sellers added 10. Senior forward Ian Kinard grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to lead the way in the frontcourt.
 
"I give credit to my coaching staff for another great game plan," said Garvin. It feels great to win two in row, so we will enjoy this for the night then turn our attention to UMES first thing in the morning."
 
Nasir Core had 15 points for the Rattlers (4-12 overall, 2-3 in MEAC). Evins Desir and M.J. Randolph each scored 12 points.
 
The Bulldogs improve to 8-8 overall and 3-1 in the MEAC. South Carolina State matches up against Maryland Eastern Shore at home on Monday in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.