Parker scores 22, has 5 steals as South Carolina State holds off Allen 88-81

South Carolina State holds off Allen 88-81

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Darnell Porter scored 22 points and had five steals as South Carolina State held off Allen 88-81 on Thursday night.

Porter was 5-for-5 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, and 10-for-12 from the free throw line for the Bulldogs (2-0).

South Carolina State led by six points on two occasions in the first half, but Allen (3-2), an NAIA school, rallied for a 30-25 lead with 5:26 left.

After the Bulldogs took a 39-38 lead into halftime, they opened the second half with a 6-0 spurt and led by as many as eight points. Allen pulled ahead 62-61 on a 3-pointer by Byron Littlejohn with 8:13 left.

The game was tied twice more before Tyvon Williams put South Carolina State ahead 70-67 on a three-point play with 5:43 left. Allen drew within a point at 80-79 with 2:49 left, but could not regain the lead.

Littlejohn led the Yellow Jackets with 24 points.