MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – An increased defensive effort sparked a strong comeback for Georgia College Men's Basketball (11-14, 8-9 PBC) Wednesday, as the Bobcats beat Francis Marion University (4-20, 3-14 PBC) 90-79 at the Centennial Center.

Francis Marion was in control for much of the contest, leading 45-36 at the break, and by as much as 61-44 just under five minutes into the second half.

The Bobcats tightened the defensive clamps, causing 14 second-half turnovers and knocking down eight three-pointers after the break to rally.

After the massive 17-point deficit at the 15:33 mark in the second half, the Bobcats clawed their way back to take a 74-71 lead on a three-pointer by Christian Koneman (Chatsworth) with 4:29 remaining.

The Bobcats controlled things from there, getting points from six different players over the remainder of the contest.

Junior Jordan Thomas (Conyers) led the Bobcats with 31 points, going 9-for-17 from the field, 6-for-9 from long range and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. It was Thomas' fourth 30-point game this season. He filled the boxscore with four steals, five rebounds and three assists.

Classmate Justin Cave (Savannah) made his presence felt with 24 points, hitting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc and adding five assists.

The win gives the Bobcats two victories over the Patriots in the same season for the first time since 2007-08.

In tonight's contest, Thomas passed Shaun Keaton (2009) to take sixth in all-time scoring at Georgia College. Thomas now has 1,402 career points, looking up at Aaron Clark (2008) in fifth with 1,467.

The victory moves the Bobcats to 8-9 in league play, tied for sixth in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) standings. The top eight advance to the PBC Tournament March 4.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m., playing host to the University of North Georgia for homecoming at the Centennial Center.

The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the 2017 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at @GCBobcats on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.