COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU men's basketball opened its home schedule Friday evening with an 88-68 loss to Dalton State at the Moore Fitness Center. The Rams kept pace with the Roadrunners throughout the first half before Dalton State pulled away in the second period.
CIU trailed by as many as seven points in the opening half but battled back to tie the game at 32-32 with just over two minutes remaining. The Roadrunners took a 35-33 lead into halftime despite the Rams shooting 54.5% from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
Johnny Whysong tied the game at 35-35 with a layup to begin the second half, but Dalton State responded with a 15-4 run to build a double-digit advantage. The Roadrunners continued to extend their lead, shooting 65.6% from the field and connecting on six 3-pointers in the second half.
KJ Anderson led CIU with 12 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers. Rhett Warga added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Gray Madeira contributed eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, including two 3-pointers.
Whysong finished with eight points and three assists, while Tyson Ray, Chris Copeland and Tristyn Carrington each added seven points.
CIU received 43 points from its bench and finished the contest shooting 46.9% from the field. The Rams also recorded 10 steals and three blocked shots.
The Rams (0-3) will return to action Thursday, Nov. 5, when they travel to Charleston, S.C., to face NCAA Division I opponent Charleston Southern University in an exhibition contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
