CENTRAL, S.C. | C.J. Jones splashed down 28 points, but the Bobcats fell two points short as they fell to Southern Wesleyan University 83-81 in a non-conference men's basketball contest Wednesday (Nov. 19) night inside the Historic Tysinger Gymnasium.
The Bobcats dropped their second in a row in the early going, falling to 1-2, while the Warriors collected their first win of the season, climbing to 1-2. GCSU faces Thomas (Ga.) University Tuesday (Nov. 25) at 3:30 p.m. for its home debut inside the Centennial Center.
The Warriors led off with a pair of layups before the Bobcats stole the momentum back with a dunk from James Nichols III and a follow-up three-pointer from Aidan Kudlas. The game stayed close through the first five minutes; however, layups from Luke Krawczyk, Jones, and Kudlas, along with jumpers from Gabe Bolden and Devin McClain, gave the Bobcats a 10-point lead.
Southern Wesleyan chipped into the Bobcat quickly and ferociously, and back-to-back three-pointers from Jaquay Randolph and Will Little gave the Warriors the lead back. Both teams kept the game close until the last minute of the first half, as a pair of free throws at the end from Yelnats Zephir gave the Warriors a two-point, 37-35 lead at half.
The game stayed close through the first three moments of the second half, with teams trading free throws, but a layup and a dunk from Southern Wesleyan's Jamarras McCray brought the Warrior lead to nine. The Bobcats worked into the lead as the half went on, and Nichols III and Jones came through, putting up four points each to bring the game to one point in favor of the Warriors. Teams traded points to the very end, as Oscar Lynch tied it with a free throw at 81, yet Bobby Taylor put up a layup with four seconds left as the nail in the coffin to send the Bobcats home.
Kudlas and Lynch put up 12 and 10, respectively. Krawczyk and Julian Walker worked well off the back glass, collecting 10 rebounds each. Jones and Kudlas had a pair of assists each. The Bobcats loved the paint, scoring 52 out of their 81 there.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five 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.
