GREENVILLE, S.C. — CIU men's basketball took the floor against NCAA Division I Furman University on Monday night in an exhibition matchup at Timmons Arena, falling 89–59 in a contest that does not count toward the Rams' season record.
CIU opened with energy, trading baskets in the early minutes, but Furman used a strong first-half shooting stretch to take a 49–25 lead into halftime. The Rams responded with improved ball movement and shot-making after the break, scoring 34 points in the second half.
Will Kelly led CIU with 18 points, going 7-for-9 from the free-throw line while adding two assists and two steals.
James Davis added eight points, including a pair of early three-pointers, while
Johnny Whysong finished with six points and three steals.
Jeffrey Clark, II contributed five points and three assists, and
Rhett Warga added four points and three rebounds.
Tre Kirk gave the Rams a lift in the second half with seven points, while
Jackson Inman scored six, knocking down two threes. CIU shot 80 percent from the free-throw line and totaled 18 points from the bench.
Because the game was an exhibition, CIU remains 3–2 on the season.
The Rams return to regular-season play on Wednesday, Nov. 12, traveling to Sumter to face Morris College at 6:00 p.m. ET.
