COLUMBIA, S.C. - The CIU men's basketball team picked up a notable win Saturday evening as they dispatched Tennessee Wesleyan University 79-73. The Bulldogs (13-5, 14-5) are currently second in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC ), with the victory giving the Rams a much-needed boost in the AAC standings and a chance at a higher seeding in the upcoming AAC Tournament. The victory avenges an earlier season loss to the Bulldogs as CIU moves to 10-10 overall and 9-8 in the conference. Head men's basketball coach Tony Stockman has now reached double-digit wins in each of his five seasons with the Rams.
It was all Rams' early on Saturday night as CIU opened up a 14-5 lead on a Jaylon Jeter triple just five minutes into the contest. CIU actually held a nine-point advantage three different times in the first half but ended up relinquishing the lead falling behind 29-28 to the Bulldogs with 5:48 remaining in the half. TWU held onto the lead going into the break up 39-38.
CIU responded to start the second opening the half on a 10-0 run capped off by a Skyler McKinney 3-pointer to take a 48-39 advantage. The Rams built their lead all the way to 15 points charging ahead 64-49 on a Darrian Oates score with 11:54 remaining. The Bulldogs would not go away quietly and eventually trimmed the deficit down to 71-67 with 57 ticks left on the clock. It was as close as they would get as the Rams were able to knock down free throws and stave off any hope of a comeback.
DiAnthony Heathcock bounced back after a few quiet games offensively to score 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. Both McKinney and Oates chipped in their usual contributions as Oates poured in 20 points (4-of-7 3PT), and McKinney was one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and ten boards. Jeter was solid off the bench for CIU scoring ten points as his backcourt counterpart Jalen Brinson racked up eight assists.
What Coach Tony Stockman is saying: "It was fantastic to be back at home this week and great to get a win over a very good Tennessee Wesleyan team. We still have the chance to finish as one of the top three or four teams in the conference, and tonight was a step in the right direction."
Up Next: CIU travels to Cleveland, Ga. on Jan. 31 for a bout with Truett McConnell University at 7:30 PM.
