COLUMBIA, S.C. – Coming off a rare loss last week, the CIU men's basketball team got back on track and back atop the Appalachian Athletic Conference on Thursday night. (RV) CIU (11-4) defeated Bluefield College (6-11) 94-77 to pass Point University in the conference standings. CIU has now reached double-digit wins in the conference for the third season in a row.

How It Happened:

First Half: CIU 51 BC 38: After a competitive opening 16:00 minutes, the first half would reach a turning point, with the game tied at 36-36. At the 3:53 mark, Corey Benton drilled a 3-pointer to spur a 15-2 run by the Rams to close out the half. Bryce Causey was a significant factor in the run as the freshman scored 12 first-half points contributing to a 13-point CIU lead at the break. 

Second Half: CIU 94 BC 77: Skyler McKinney opened the second half with eight straight points helping CIU's advantage balloon to 59-44. Bluefield would get as close as six points but could never entirely close the gap. With Elijah Spalding protecting the rim, CIU regained a 86-72 advantage thanks to a Brandon Doss 3-pointer at the 3:38 mark. CIU was stalwart from the charity stripe through the waning minutes of the contest and dispatched Bluefield by double-digits.

Game Notes:

• Both Corey Benton and Skyler McKinney recorded double-doubles as the pair combined for 45 points and 22 rebounds. McKinney scored 20 second-half points for a stat line of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Benton was four assists shy of triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
• Elijah Spalding tallied 12 points and five rebounds; however, most notably, the senior tied the CIU single-game record for blocks with six.
• Freshman Bryce Causey went an impressive 5-5 from the field for his season-high in points with 12
• CIU shot 90% from the line as a team as Benton went 8-8, and McKinney shot 10-11.

Up Next:

CIU will travel to Barbourville, Kentucky, to challenge Union College on Saturday at 4 PM.