MARIETTA, Ga. - CIU men's basketball bounced back from an early season loss on Saturday as they defeated Bethel (Tenn.) in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The game took place on the campus of Life University, where the Running Eagles are hosting the Ken Woods Memorial Classic. In what was a competitive non-conference game for both teams, the Rams (1-1) took down the Wildcats (1-1) 83-76.

The Rams jumped out to an early 9-4 lead on a layup from Jalen Brinson and would continue to build the advantage. The Rams solidified their control of the game as the lead ballooned to double-digits 26-14 on a DiAnthony Heathcock three-pointer. The Wildcats cut the lead to eight before the break, but CIU regained a double-digit 41-31 advantage at halftime.

The first five minutes of the second half were all Wildcats as Bethel exploded for a 17-4 run to go up 50-45.  The Rams remained poised, however, and eventually took their own five-point lead 61-56 on a Heathcock flush. CIU locked down defensively to go up by 11 (83-72) with 25 seconds remaining. A late three from the Wildcats brought the final score within in single digits, but it was too little too late. 

Heathcock led the Rams in scoring with 16 on 5-for-8 shooting, while Brinson added 15 points and four assists. Christian Howard chipped in 12 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field with six boards. Both Jaylon Jeter and Will Kelly knocked down two triples and scored in double-figures as Jeter tallied 12 and Kelly posted ten. Sophomore Brandon Hunt crashed the glass for CIU with six rebounds and five points. 

As a team, the Rams shot 50% from beyond the arc, knocking down eight threes.

What Coach Tony Stockman is saying: "There was some solid competition at Life this weekend, and I think both games prepared us well for the conference schedule. Overall, I was pleased with our shot selection again today versus Bethel, and it was great to get a quality win against an established program."

Up Next: The Rams have over a week off as they will begin conference play versus St. Andrews (N.C.) on Nov. 8 at 7:00 p.m. EST in Laurinburg.