YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Khalil Green scored 21 points, but 14th-ranked Lincoln Memorial University held off a pesky Georgia College & State University men's basketball team 81-78 on the final day of the Conference Challenge hosted by Young Harris College Saturday (Nov. 15) afternoon inside the Harp Recreation & Commencement Center.

The Railsplitters improved to 1-1, while the Bobcats fell to 1-1. GCSU remains on the road for a 6 p.m. non-conference contest Wednesday (Nov. 19) against Southern Wesleyan University in Central, South Carolina.

The game was a tight one for the first 32 minutes as neither team enjoyed more than a seven-point lead. The game saw 11 lead changes and 10 ties.

Lincoln Memorial led 51-44 after a three-pointer by LMU's E.J. Smith with 16:44 remaining, but the Bobcats reeled off the next eight points on a three-pointer from C.J. Jones, a dunk by James Nichols III and a three-pointer by Luke Krawczyk to give GCSU a 52-51 lead 90 seconds later.

The Railsplitters used a 7-0 run to open up a 70-60 lead on an old-fashioned three-point play from Drew Lewis with 7:39 to go. GCSU responded with a 6-0 run to pull within two points (77-75) after Nichols drained a three-pointer with 3:08 remaining.

LMU expanded its lead back to four points (81-77) with second second remaining, but the Bobcats were only to get a point closer on a free throw with three seconds left. Green got the offensive rebound for the Bobcats after Jones missed the second free throw attempt, but the Bobcats were unable to score.

Jones finished with 14 points, while Nichols and Krawczyk each pumped in 11. GCSU, which held a 35-30 edge in rebounding, saw Julian Walker and Oscar Lynch pulled down six rebounds apiece, while Jones and Krawczyk had five each. Jones also added six assists, while Aidan Kudlas had four more.

Nate Mims led LMU with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Smith added 17 points.

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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