Mt. Vernon, Ga. – The CIU men's basketball team (20-10) beat Brewton-Parker for the third time this year, Thursday night. However, the evening's win held more weight than the first two victories as the win gave CIU its second consecutive NCCAA DI South Region Title. It was a bittersweet victory for the Rams as less than an hour before tip-off, the NCCAA announced it would be canceling its postseason tournament in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Traditionally, tonight's win would have given CIU its second-ever birth to the NCCAA National Championship Tournament, but CIU would have to be satisfied achieving its first 20 win season.
How It Happened:
CIU 104 BPC 91: The Rams took control of the contest from the jump, starting the game on a 9-0 run fueled by Eric Graham. The sophomore extended the lead with 14:23 remaining by drilling a three-pointer to give CIU a commanding 21-11 advantage. From there, the Rams would get everyone involved, scoring an astonishing 48 points in the final 14:00 minutes of the half. Graham stayed hot while Skyler McKinney got going and John Johnson and Arthur Pearson poured in the scoring as well. CIU would lead at the half 69-41.
While CIU's scoring slowed in the second half AAC Freshman of the Year, Skyler McKinney, continued to score at a high clip. Jeff McIlwain was overpowering in the post as Baron defenders struggled to guard the 6'10 All-Conference center. Pearson and Johnson held Brewton-Parker at bay on the perimeter with Pearson getting to the rim and Johnson shooting well from deep. The Barons outscored the Rams 50-36 in the second half, but CIU still cruised to a 105-91 victory.
Box Score Highlights:
- Skyler McKinney shot well in both his trips to Brewton-Parker this season, the freshman scored 31 points at the home of the Barons back in November and poured in 24 points Thursday night.
- Senior Jeff McIlwain finished his collegiate career with a special night scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 boards.
- Leading scorer Corey Benton found himself playing a different role as the junior dished out a CIU season-high 11 assists while scoring 10 points for the double-double.
- Arthur Pearson (14 pts) and John Johnson (11 pts) combined for 24 points on 8-10 shooting.
Record-Breaking Notes:
- CIU records its first 20-win season in program history.
- Jeff McIlwain will finish his career as 2nd in rebounds in program history and top ten all-time in scoring.
- The Rams broke the CIU record for points in a half (69) and had the second-most assists in a game (26).
- Coach Tony Stockman will finish his second year at the helm of the Rams, first in total wins in program history (38) and in winning percentage (.684).
Coach Stockman Quotables
"I am extremely proud of our guys for buying in and working hard. For us to win 20 games in only the second year of our program is such a huge accomplishment. There are a lot of moving pieces to make this happen, and the credit has to go the program as a whole"
"I am thrilled that the seniors got to win their last game in their college career and finish as champions. That is very rare and special in college basketball. I wish we could move on to the National Tournament and compete with some of the best teams in the country. However, I am grateful for another region championship and understand the situation we are currently in."
