COLUMBIA - CIU men's basketball fell 86-83 to Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) power Union College (Ky.) on Saturday afternoon. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom as Rams' graduate guard Darrian Oates became CIU men's basketball's all-time leading scorer with 30 points on the afternoon. Oates passes former CIU guard Corey Benton to top the all-time scoring list with 1,553 career points. Saturday's loss moves the Rams to 14-9 overall and 13-6 within the conference. 

The Rams trailed by as many as 19 points in the first (41-22) but battled back late in the half. CIU closed the half on a 8-2 run to trail just 52-43 at the half. Oates was superb in the first half, with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field.

CIU trimmed the lead to just two points (62-60) on a DiAnthony Heathcock dunk six minutes into the second frame. The Rams would again cut the deficit to two, 74-72, with 5:28 remaining on an Oates' layup. The Rams struggled to make free throws down the stretch but still had an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds; however, a contested 3-pointer missed the mark as time expired as CIU fell 86-83. 

Oates' was not the only player in double-figures as Heathcock scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Brandon Hunt posted ten points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Christian Howard tallied 12 points and five rebounds. 

Up Next: The Rams head to Waleska, Ga., for a matchup with Reinhardt University on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. EST.