COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU men's basketball mounted a strong second-half surge but could not overcome a late Montreat push, falling 83–78 on Wednesday evening at the Moore Fitness Center.

Montreat led 36–28 at halftime after holding CIU to 28 first-half points, but the Rams clawed back behind a burst from guard Jeffrey Clark, II, whose transition finishes and early second-half three-pointer sparked a 22–11 run that trimmed the deficit to 46–41 with 13:55 remaining. Clark finished with a team-high 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting and added seven rebounds. James Davis added 14 points, while Will Kelly contributed 13, including a transition three-pointer in the closing seconds. Rhett Warga also scored nine while collecting six rebounds.

CIU closed the gap to 59–57 at the 6:32 mark after a pair of free throws from Johnny Whysong, but Montreat responded with a decisive late surge. The visitors converted multiple second-chance opportunities and capitalized at the free-throw line, rebuilding a double-digit advantage entering the final minute.

Whysong hit a late three, and Kelly drilled his transition triple to pull CIU within five in the closing seconds, but the Rams could not complete the comeback. CIU shot an even 50% from the field and went 22-for-31 at the stripe but was outscored 14–4 in second-chance points and 22–20 in fast-break opportunities.

CIU moves to 4–4 on the season and 1–1 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. The Rams return to the floor on Saturday, Nov. 22, to face Truett McConnell University at home at 4 p.m. ET.