GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Greg Mortimer scored 10 points to lead South Carolina State over North Carolina A&T 52-50 on Monday.

It was a tight second half, with S.C. State's four-point lead with 4:20 left representing a tie for largest lead after intermission. N.C. A&T rallied though, going ahead on Bruce Beckford's jumper with 2:33 left.

Mortimer responded with a layup, then Jalen White drilled a 3-pointer and S.C. State led 52-48 with 52 seconds remaining. Beckford made a pair from the line to draw within two, but Ahmad Abdullah's jumper with two seconds missed and S.C. State held on for the win.

S.C. State (5-13, 3-1 Mid-Eastern) led 24-23 at the break. The Bulldogs were 6 of 17 (35 percent) beyond the arc.

Beckford finished with 15 points for N.C. A&T (4-14, 1-3). Abdullah had 11 points and Steven Burrough added 10 points and eight rebounds.