MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | James Nichols III scored 21 points to lead five Georgia College & State University men's basketball players in double figures as the Bobcats downed Middle Georgia State University 95-83 in a Peach Belt Conference contest Tuesday (Dec. 9) evening at the Centennial Center.
The  Bobcats won their fourth in a row as they improved to 5-2 overall and to 2-0 in the Peach Belt, while the Knights slipped to 4-6 and 0-3. GCSU hits the road Saturday (Dec. 13) for a 3:30 p.m. PBC contest against Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia.
Nichols, who was 10-for-15 from the field, led the Bobcats with eight rebounds as GCSU held a 42-33 edge on the glass.
C.J. Jones had 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while
Julian Walker had 14 points and five rebounds.
Luke Krawczyk had 13 points and four rebounds, while
Aidan Kudlas had 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.
The Bobcats, which shot 49.3 percent (36-of-73) from the field and 77.3 percent (17-of-22) from the charity stripe, led for all but 55 seconds as there were three lead changes and seven ties. Middle Georgia State got as close as a point at 22-21 after Caleb Love nailed a three-pointer midway through the first half, before GCSU used an 18-9 run to take a 40-30 lead with 3:20 before halftime on a
Devin McClain layup.
Middle Georgia State whittled the lead back to two points (40-38) at halftime as they used an 8-0 run. The Knights took their final lead at 44-42 on a Milique Smith jumper two minutes into the second half before GCSU put together a 24-6 run, capped off by a
Mason Etter three-pointer to give the Bobcats a 66-50 lead with 10:14 remaining. GCSU took its largest lead - 22 points (79-57) on a Nichols dunk with 6:36 to go. The closest the Knights would get would be 10 points (87-77) with just over two minutes to play.
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 theÂ
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