COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU men's basketball erased a halftime deficit and rode a dominant second-half surge to a 96–86 win over Truett McConnell on Saturday afternoon inside the Moore Fitness Center. The victory moves the Rams to 5–4 overall and 1–2 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.

After trailing 49–47 at halftime, CIU outscored the Bears 49–37 in the second half while shooting 46 percent from the field and converting 19-of-22 free throws. The Rams also forced key turnovers after the break, generating transition points that shifted momentum.

Johnny Whysong delivered one of the most complete performances in recent program history, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and six steals—coming just one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double. Jeffrey Clark, II led all CIU scorers with 26 points, going a perfect 12-for-12 at the free-throw line while adding four assists and three steals.

James Davis added 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and Jackson Inman supplied 13 points off the bench. JJ Vaughan contributed 14 points, including a pair of threes, while Will Kelly scored nine points and went 6-for-6 at the foul line.

CIU shot 55.2 percent from the field for the game and forced 20 turnovers, converting them into 30 points.

CIU returns home on Tuesday, Nov. 25, hosting Columbia College (S.C.) at 7:30 p.m. ET inside the Moore Fitness Center.