NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — CIU men's basketball remained within striking distance of NCAA Division I opponent Charleston Southern throughout the opening half Thursday evening before the Buccaneers pulled away in the second period to hand the Rams an 86-49 exhibition loss at CSU Fieldhouse.
The Rams kept pace with Charleston Southern early, tying the contest at 8-8 following consecutive baskets from Jeffrey Clark II. CIU continued to challenge the Buccaneers midway through the opening period, with Tyson Ray's basket tying the game at 12-12 with 11:49 remaining.
Charleston Southern built a seven-point advantage before CIU responded with baskets from Johnny Whysong and Clark to cut the deficit to three. Whysong later brought the Rams within two at 24-22 with 4:37 remaining, but the Buccaneers closed the half on an 8-2 run to take a 32-24 advantage into the break.
The Buccaneers took control to begin the second half, scoring the first 14 points of the period to extend their lead to 46-24. Charleston Southern shot 52.8% from the field over the final 20 minutes, outscoring CIU 54-25 to secure the victory.
Kendrick Jackson led the Rams with 11 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-9 from the field while adding two blocked shots and a steal. Clark followed with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and recorded two blocks.
Whysong finished with six points and two assists, while Vuk Veljic added five points, including a 3-pointer. Rhett Warga contributed four points, while KJ Anderson collected a team-high six rebounds.
CIU received 29 points from its bench and recorded six blocked shots. The Rams shot 33.8% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just two of their 14 attempts.
Charleston Southern finished with a 56-31 advantage on the glass, including 24 offensive rebounds that resulted in 28 second-chance points. The Buccaneers also held a 46-16 advantage in points in the paint.
The Rams will return to regular-season action Friday, Nov. 6, when they host Paine College at the Moore Fitness Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.
