COLUMBIA, S.C – Coming off three consecutive NCAA Division I exhibition games, the CIU men's basketball team was happy to be back in the friendly confines of the Moore Fitness Center on Wednesday night. CIU hosted AAC opponent Tennessee Wesleyan University looking to get back in the conference win column after dropping their last two AAC contests. The Rams would do just that, defeating the Bulldogs with a big second half to pick up a 95-75 win.

How It Happened:

First Half: CIU 48 TWU 45: The Rams trailed 8:00 minutes into the first half as the Bulldogs held a 22-17 lead. The Rams outscored TWU over the next few minutes to jump in front 35-32 with 7:02 remaining in the half. CIU took as much as a 7-point lead after an Eric Graham score, but the Rams only held a 48-45 advantage at the break. Skyler McKinney scored 9 points in the first, while Elijah Spalding and Brandon Doss both scored 6 points.

Second Half: CIU 95 TWU 75: A familiar face broke the game wide open in the second half as Corey Benton scored 23 second-half points. The senior guard helped the Rams outscore the Bulldogs 27 to 7 in the final 12:00 minutes of the contest. Thomas Woods was also critical to the Ram's big run as the junior came off of the bench to go 2-2 from three. Coach Stockman upped the pressure in the final 10:00 minutes as half-court trapping by the Rams forced 13 second-half turnovers en route to 95-75 dismantling of TWU.

Game Notes:

• Senior Corey Benton continues to lead the AAC in scoring as the senior put up 27 points, 5 steals, and 5 assists. Notably, Corey Benton's only points in the first half came from an and-one three-pointer. 
• Skyler McKinney anchored CIU as he has all year with 15 points and 7 rebounds.
• Eric Graham and Thomas Woods both had 11 points with Woods going 3-4 from deep.
• DiAnthony Heathcock is proving that he is a force to be reckoned with inside as the freshman had 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

What Coach Stockman is saying:
"It was good to be at full strength and get everyone back in their roles. We made some adjustments in the second half and did a much better job rebounding and turning them over in the latter portion of the game."

Up Next:
CIU will host Bryan College in their final conference game of the semester on Friday as they battle the Lions at 3 PM.