COLUMBUS, Ga. – A huge three late and some strong defense when they needed it most helped the Georgia College Men's Basketball team (7-1) even out its lone loss of the season, this time beating Tuskegee University (3-6) 74-67 Saturday. The Bobcats closed the Columbus Classic tournament with a 2-0 mark and have now won five straight.

Junior guard Wesley Simpson (DeLand, Florida/Union Grove HS [Ga.]) led the Bobcats with 23 points, but none more important than his last shot, a three from the left corner with 1:14 left as the shot-clock expired. That clutch shot stretched a 66-63 game out to the more comfortable 69-63.

After the Tigers traded a pair of layups for a Bobcat free-throw, TU had the ball trailing by just three with 16 ticks left, and senior Jordan Thomas (Conyers) came up with a huge diving steal. That was followed by another GC free-throw that pushed the game out of reach.

Simpson led all scorers with his 23 points, adding five rebounds and four assists. Thomas added 20 points of his own, finishing with three steals. He knocked down six of the team's nine threes. Junior forward Christian Koneman (Chatsworth) led the bench brigade with 10 points, three boards and two steals in just 17 minutes.

The Bobcats were out-shot 39 percent to 46 percent from the field, and finished with a slim edge in threes (9-6) and free-throws made (17-13) to seal the win. GC had an 18-6 advantage in points-off-turnovers.

Thomas' 20 points give the senior 94 career double-digit scoring games, breaking the school record held by GC Hall of Famer Robert Williams (1977).

The Bobcats are back in action in one week, traveling to the University of North Georgia for the beginning of Peach Belt Conference (PBC) play. Tip-off is set for Saturday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 p.m.

The proud recipients of the 2021 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GC Athletics is now two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the league's sportsmanship honor. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics holds to the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life". Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.