.BRUNSWICK, Ga. — CIU men's basketball continued its early-season road trip Saturday, falling 87-71 to the College of Coastal Georgia despite outscoring the Mariners in the second half.
The Rams (0-2) traded baskets with the Mariners early, taking a 9-7 advantage behind a pair of baskets from Jeffrey Clark II. However, Coastal Georgia began to pull away midway through the opening period, using its perimeter shooting and trips to the free-throw line to build a 48-29 halftime advantage.
CIU responded in the second half, outscoring the Mariners 42-39 over the final 20 minutes. The Rams trimmed a deficit that reached as many as 24 points to 16 in the closing minutes but were unable to complete the comeback.
Clark led CIU with a team-high 20 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting performance while adding five rebounds and five assists. KJ Anderson and Rhett Warga each contributed 10 points, while Chris Copeland added nine points off the bench. Tristyn Carrington chipped in eight points.
The Rams shot 51% from the field and received 31 points from their bench. CIU also held a 32-26 advantage in points in the paint but struggled with turnovers in the opening half, committing 15 before halftime.
Coastal Georgia connected on nine 3-pointers and made 24 free throws to maintain its advantage despite CIU's second-half push.
The Rams will return to action Wednesday, Oct. 28, when they travel to Conway, S.C., to face NCAA Division I Coastal Carolina in an exhibition contest.
