MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Malik Bryant and Destin Clark combined for 46 points and 15 rebounds as Flagler College defeated Georgia College & State University 80-69 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Saturday (Jan. 13) afternoon at the Centennial Center.
The Saints improved to 8-6 overall and to 1-3 in the Peach Belt, while the Bobcats slipped to 7-7 and 0-4. GCSU hosts Peach Belt newcomer University of South Carolina-Beaufort in a 7:30 p.m. home contest Wednesday (Jan. 17).
The game was a tight affair the first half as there were six lead changes and three ties. Georgia College tied the game up at for the final time at 23Â
when
Brady Spence, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, connected on a layup with 6:09 remaining in the first half. Jax Bouknight sank a three-pointer 21 seconds later to give the Saints the lead for good. That started a 9-0 Flagler run that saw them open up a 32-23 lead on two Clark free throws with 3:18 to go.
Flagler led 38-31 at the intermission, but the Bobcats scored the first six points of the second half to cut the deficit to one at 38-37 after an
Austin Sloan dunk 76 seconds into the period. The Saints break the game open at 64-49 as Flagler connected on four consecutive three-pointers, including three by Bryant, with 11:40 to play.
Spence scored his points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Richard Crawford III led GCSU with 17 points, while
Brendan Rigsbee and
Ian Davis also finished in double figures with 10 points each. Sloan added seven rebounds, while Rigsbee added three more.
About GCSU AthleticsÂ
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for three consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won four consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to theÂ
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