MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — CIU men's basketball fell 94-58 to NCAA Division II Georgia College of the Peach Belt Conference in an exhibition matchup Monday morning at the Centennial Center.
The Rams struggled to contain the Bobcats' shooting, as Georgia College connected on 62.3% of its attempts from the field while holding CIU to 34.7% shooting.
Georgia College established an early advantage, opening the contest on a 13-1 run before Tre Kirk scored the Rams' first field goal with 15:17 remaining in the opening half. The Bobcats extended their lead to 29-11 midway through the period before CIU began to chip away at the deficit.
Kirk connected on a 3-pointer, while Jeffrey Clark II and Kendrick Jackson added baskets as the Rams trimmed the margin to 10 points at 33-23 with 5:44 remaining. Georgia College responded down the stretch, taking a 47-31 advantage into halftime.
CIU opened the second half with consecutive baskets from Johnny Whysong and Connor Higgins, cutting the deficit to 12 points at 47-35. However, the Bobcats answered with a 13-5 stretch to extend their lead to 60-40 with 13:39 remaining.
Tristyn Carrington briefly interrupted the Georgia College run with a 3-pointer, but the Bobcats continued to extend their advantage throughout the second half. Georgia College outscored CIU 47-27 over the final 20 minutes to secure the victory.
Kirk led the Rams with 12 points, shooting 4-of-9 from the field while adding two assists. Clark and Higgins followed with eight points apiece, with Higgins also collecting four rebounds.
Isaac Thorpe provided seven points off the bench, while Whysong finished with six points, four rebounds and a team-high three assists. KJ Anderson added six points, and Jackson contributed five.
CIU connected on 19 of its 26 free-throw attempts and received 24 points from its bench. The Rams recorded 13 assists on 17 made field goals but were outrebounded 37-25.
Georgia College held a 52-16 advantage in points in the paint and converted 19 CIU turnovers into 29 points. The Bobcats also received 44 points from their bench.
The Rams return home Saturday, Nov. 14, to open Appalachian Athletic Conference play against Pikeville at the Moore Fitness Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
