AIKEN, S.C. – In a battle between two of the top four in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) the Georgia College Men's Basketball team (17-5, 9-4 PBC) emerged with a convincing 62-49 victory at USC Aiken (15-8, 9-4 PBC) Wednesday night.

The Bobcats tightened the defensive clamps, and for the third time this season held an opponent under 50 points. But, it didn't come easy.

The first half little went right for GC, finding themselves nearly doubled up at 31-17. The Bobcats then exploded for 45 second-half points, led by 14 from freshman Luke Chism (Dawsonville, Georgia).

GC started the second half on a 19-4 run, taking the lead at 36-35 on a three-point play from Chism. The Bobcats never looked back from there, leading for the remaining 12:28 of the contest.

Chism finished with 15 points, adding six boards and a pair of blocks. Senior Jordan Thomas (Conyers, Georgia) added a team-high 17, while juniors Christian Koneman (Chatsworth, Georgia) and Wesley Simpson (DeLand, Florida/Union Grove HS [Ga.]) netted 12 and 10, respectively. Simpson had a near double-double with eight rebounds. 

The Bobcats out-shot the Pacers 38% to 21% from the field. GC took advantage of takeaways, scoring a 25-6 advantage in points-off-turnovers.

The win puts GC at 9-4 in PBC play, good for third in the league standings. The top eight teams qualify for the PBC Tournament in March, with the top four getting to host an opening-round game. The GC Men clinched a PBC Tournament bid with tonight's victory.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m., playing host to Georgia Southwestern State University.

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.