COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU men's basketball hosted a familiar foe on Monday evening as the Rams welcomed Allen University (S.C.) to the Moore Fitness Center. A former fellow member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference, Allen has since moved to the NCAA Division II ranked, and Monday's matchup was the first time CIU has faced the Yellow Jackets since the 2019-2020 season. The Rams would get the best of Allen, recoding their second win of the season with an 86-61 thumping of their old conference opponent.

The game's result was never in doubt despite a spirited comeback attempt from Allen midway through the second half. However, the game's story was senior Thomas Woods, who put up 16 second-half points on his way to a team-high 23 points for the game. Woods went a scorching 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range. The Rams were aided inside by sophomore DiAnthony Heathcock, who grabbed 13 boards while going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field for 13 points. CIU had two other players in double figures as freshman guard Jaylon Jeter scored 14 points in 19 minutes, and veteran Darrian Oates poured in ten points, going 2-of-3 from beyond the three-point line. As a team, CIU was dominant on the boards outrebounding the Yellow Jackets 49 to 32.

Hear from Coach  Tony Stockman after the win:

Up next:

CIU will travel northward to battle Bluefield University on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 PM in Bluefield, Va.