SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The CIU men's basketball team earned an 83–75 road victory over Spartanburg Methodist on Thursday night at Bridges Arena, holding off a second-half push to secure the conference win.

CIU built an early advantage behind efficient shooting and steady ball movement, taking a 43–33 lead into halftime. The Rams stretched the margin to as many as 24 points early in the second half before Spartanburg Methodist responded with a scoring run to cut the deficit to single digits late in the game.

Will Kelly led CIU with a game-high 29 points, connecting on four three-pointers and going 15-for-17 at the free-throw line. Jeffrey Clark II added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Connor Higgins posted 14 points and eight rebounds. Jackson Inman finished with eight points, and Johnny Whysong contributed six assists to help guide the offense.

Despite being outscored in the second half, CIU answered every late surge from the Pioneers at the free-throw line, shooting 80 percent from the stripe for the game. The Rams also won the rebounding battle, 36–34, and forced 15 turnovers to maintain control down the stretch.

CIU returns to action on Monday, Feb. 2, when the Rams host Reinhardt University at 7 p.m. ET.