MORROW, Ga. | Brady Spence and Brendan Rigsbee combined for 27 points and 12 rebounds as Georgia College & State University held off Clayton State University 77-74 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Wednesday (Jan. 24) evening at The Loch.

The Bobcats snapped their eight-game losing streak as they improved to 8-9 overall and to 1-6 in the PBC, while the Lakers fell to 5-12 and 1-6. GCSU returns to the Centennial Center for a 3:30 p.m. PBC contest Saturday (Jan. 27) against Georgia Southwestern State University.

Clayton State had a 21-18 lead with 10:26 left in the first half on a Travis Harper jumper, but the Bobcats, who led for over 31 minutes, reeled off 10 unanswered points to take a 28-21 lead on a Spence layup with 8:38 remaining. Georgia College, which shot 60.7 percent (17-of-28) in the opening 20 minutes, expanded its lead to 16 points (40-24) after Jake Mooney sank back-to-back three-pointers with 3:21 to go.

The Bobcats, which led 44-33 at the half, reopened a 16-point advantage (66-50) on a Spence layup with 8:37 remaining in the contest, but the Lakers closed to within two points (72-70) as they used a 20-6 run over the next six minutes. A Spence hook shot and two free throws from Austin Sloan gave GCSU a 76-70 lead with 96 seconds left.

Spence led the Bobcats with 15 points and eight rebounds. Spence was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. Rigsbee also scored in double figures with 12 points and added four rebounds and three assists. Aidan Kudlas added eight points, while Richard Crawford III and Ian Davis pumped in seven points apiece. Sloan finished with six points and six rebounds.

About GCSU Athletics 
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 the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.

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