Kentucky State Dominates in Statement Win to Open SIAC Tournament-Eye Quarterfinal Showdown

Kentucky State’s men’s basketball team secured a dominant 108-87 victory over Edward Waters on Saturday afternoon, earning a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 SIAC Basketball Championship in Atlanta.

The matchup took place at KSU’s Exum Center, where junior Gregory Melvin delivered a standout performance, scoring a season-high 34 points. He made 12 field goals, including three shots from beyond the arc, leading all scorers.

Senior Lavar Miller Jr. also had an impressive outing, knocking down five 3-pointers and converting seven of eight free throws to finish with 26 points. He topped the assist charts as well, dishing out six in the contest.

Kentucky State’s shooting efficiency improved significantly in the second half. The team made nearly 60% of its shots (18-of-31) from the field and over 50% (7-of-13) from three-point territory. Their accuracy at the free-throw line remained strong, exceeding 80% (17-of-21).

With this victory, Kentucky State advances to face Clark Atlanta, the No. 1 seed in the East Division, in the tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Forbes Arena in Atlanta.

The Thorobreds set the tone early in Saturday’s game when senior Ogien Ayo scored a jump shot on the opening possession. Melvin followed with six unanswered points, propelling KSU to a 13-4 lead with 15:49 left in the first half.

Miller later extended the advantage to 27-16 with a three-pointer off a Tigers turnover at the 9:29 mark. Just before halftime, he drained another three to put KSU ahead by 11, and the team entered the break leading 48-40.

In the second half, Kentucky State continued its offensive surge. Melvin capped a 13-0 scoring run with a three-pointer, stretching the lead to 66-48 with 14:24 remaining.

With just under three minutes left, Miller was fouled and sank both free throws, pushing KSU’s largest lead of the game to 27 points at 106-79.