COLUMBUS, Ga. – The USCA men's basketball team dropped an 85-65 decision at No. 25 Columbus State Saturday afternoon.
The loss snapped the team's four-game winning streak. The Pacers are now 11-5 overall, including 4-2 in PBC play.
Head coach
Mark Vanderslice's team was led by
Simeon German's double-double effort of 14 points and 12 rebounds. German connected on all six field goal attempts.
Rhyjon Blackwell added 13 points and two steals while
Jalen McCoy and
Cam Perkins chipped in 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
Davion Cunningham accounted for six points and six boards while
Mason Grant totaled four points.
Caleb Byrd and
Dwight Canady, Jr., posted three points apiece.
Trailing 11-1 in the early going, Cunningham found Perkins for a three-ball at the 15:28 mark. Perkins dished out an assist to German for a lay-up before Grant converted an inside shot to make it 11-8. Grant hit a jumper with 12:59 to play, completing a 9-0 spurt for Vanderslice's squad.
Down 25-12, German stopped the home team's run with a lay-up. USCA cut the margin to 10 on a three-ball from Perkins with 6:16 to go. A 19-5 spurt by the Cougars made it 46-22 at halftime.
With the score at 50-26, German converted a three-point play. Trailing 52-29, Perkins found McCoy and Blackwell for baskets, making it 52-33 with 14:14 remaining.
Facing a 24-point deficit, McCoy, Cunningham and German converted inside shots. After a small burst by CSU, Vanderslice's team responded with five straight points. USCA netted four consecutive points in a 24-second span to put the score at 65-48, but the Cougars were able to keep the Pacers at bay the rest of the way.
For the game, USCA buried 27-of-64 from the floor, including five-of-17 from the three-point stripe. The team snagged 37 rebounds, including 14 offensive boards. Vanderslice's squad dished out nine assists and had four blocks. The team scored 38 points in the paint and had 17 second chance points.
The Pacers return to action Wednesday, Jan. 22, when they host USC Beaufort at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
