Cobb's double-double helps Dalton State College hold on for first conference win
Nov. 21—Dalton State College's basketball team held on to a late advantage to defeat Mobile 59-55 at home on Saturday for the Roadrunners' first Southern States Athletic Conference win.
Dalton State (4-3, 1-1 SSAC) held an eight-point advantage with 4:15 left, but the visiting Rams (3-3, 0-2 SSAC) cut the score to 57-55 with a jump shot with 31 seconds left. Mobile had an opportunity to tie the game at the free throw line a few seconds later but missed, and Jaelin Ferrell and Sean Cobb each added a late free throw for Dalton State. Mobile got another potential tying shot off with the Roadrunners leading by three with 11 seconds left.
The Roadrunners survived after clinging to the lead for the entire second half.
The eight-point lead in the final minutes for the Roadrunners matched the largest deficit either team faced. Mobile got off to a strong start and led by eight at 10-2, and Dalton State grabbed the lead for the first time when Brad Milliorn's shot with 6:52 left in the first half gave the Roadrunners an 18-17 advantage.
The lead was exchanged until a Cobb basket with 2:02 remaining before the half gave Dalton State the lead for good.
The Roadrunners led 28-24 at halftime thanks to a buzzer-beating putback by Dalton High School graduate Franklin Almonte.
In the second half, Mobile cut Dalton State's lead to a single point a few times but never tied or took the lead.
After the score was cut to 38-37, a Donavan Miller shot spurred a 10-4 DSC spurt that was capped by an Almonte 3-pointer.
Cobb, a 6-foot-7-inch forward and a first-year Roadrunner, led the way for Dalton State with 18 points and 10 rebounds, his second consecutive double-double and his highest scoring output in a Dalton State uniform.
Miller nearly reached double figures in points and assists, but settled for nine of both. Jacquez Fountain scored nine and Boubacar Kamissoko contributed eight points, while Almonte scored those five impactful points.
Ferrell, who has scored at least 15 points in four of Dalton State's seven games, had just the late free throw.
Trent Moye led Mobile with 18 points, while DaMariee Jones had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Neither team found much success shooting from deep.
Almonte's make was one of just three Roadrunners 3-pointers on 15 attempts, while Mobile missed 19 of 21 from behind the arc.
The Roadrunners are off this week and will resume play with a road game against Stillman in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
