COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU men's basketball knocked off its second opponent from the Sun Conference in as many days on Saturday afternoon, defeating College of Coastal Georgia 87–77 in the first-ever meeting between the two programs inside the Moore Fitness Center.

The Rams and Mariners were tied 35–35 at halftime, but CIU took control in the second half, outscoring Coastal Georgia 52–42 behind efficient shooting and strong guard play.

Johnny Whysong led CIU with 20 points on 10-of-15 shooting while adding six rebounds. JJ Vaughan provided a major spark off the bench with 20 points, knocking down four 3-pointers and going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Rhett Warga scored 12 points, going 6-for-6 at the stripe, while Jeffrey Clark II recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Will Kelly added 12 points to go along with four assists and two steals, while James Davis finished with nine points and five assists. CIU shot 92 percent from the free-throw line (23-for-25) and turned 18 points off turnovers into valuable scoring opportunities.

The win moves CIU to 3–2 on the season, while Coastal Georgia falls to 2–4.

CIU is back in action on Monday as the Rams travel to Greenville to face NCAA Division I opponent Furman University (S.C.) in an exhibition matchup.