COLUMBIA - CIU men's basketball would see a double-digit first half lead dwindle away as the Rams fell to Tennessee Wesleyan 84-82 in overtime on Saturday evening. The loss is the Rams first of the 2024-2025 season as CIU moves to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).

It was all Rams in the early going on Saturday as CIU jumped out in front 23-9 on a Reid Warga bucket at the 11:39 mark. The momentum continued to swing in CIU's favor as a Johnny Whysong dunk brought the home crowd to its feet as the Rams maintained the 14-point advantage (27-13). However, facing as much as a 19-point deficit in the first half, the Bulldogs closed the half on a 17-5 run, dwindling the Ram's lead to just 41-35 at the break.

A back-and-forth affair ensued in the game's second half, and the Rams themselves would have to claw back from a double-digit deficit. CIU eventually found themselves down one in the waning seconds of the contest as Christian Howard knocked down a free throw with 19 seconds left to send the game into overtime. A tightly contested extra period would ultimately go the Bulldogs way as missed free throws down the stretch plagued the Rams.

Howard led the Rams in scoring with 18 points to go along with six boards. Warga scored a season-high 16 while James Davis and Jaylon Jeter each chipped in nine. Davis led the Rams in assists with six.

The game was far from picture-perfect, as both teams coughed up the rock 19 times.

Up Next: CIU will stay in the capital city to host Truett McConnell (Ga.) on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.