MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | James Nichols III helped fuel the offense with a double-double as Georgia College & State University pushed past the University of South Carolina-Aiken 87-76 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball showdown Wednesday (Feb. 11) night inside the Centennial Center.
The Bobcats improved to 15-8 overall and 10-5 in conference play, while the Pacers fell to 11-12 and 6-9. GCSU returns with a Saturday (Feb. 14) matinee against Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, at 3:30 p.m.
The Pacers started hot as Josiah Harding and McCaskill Rivers hit back-to-back three-pointers to open the contest, but the Bobcats answered with a pair of their own from C.J. Jones and Nichols a few minutes later. Aidan Kudlas and Jones once more hit three-pointers as both teams continue to display their offensive prowess.
The Pacers reached a nine-point lead (29-20) at the 10:44 mark in the half as William Vasser Jr. made a three-pointer of his own, and GCSU worked to dwindle down the deficit until the very end of the half, as Mason Etter put up a tip-in off the tips of his fingers to lower the Bobcat deficit to three at half, 42-39.
The Bobcat offense came out of the gates steaming, as Oscar Lynch quickly tied things with a three-pointer, and a layup from Nichols gave the Bobcats their first lead. GCSU worked to slowly pull away, but the Pacers played close, tying the contest three times before a layup from Jones gave the Bobcats full momentum.
Etter added a three-pointer to give the Bobcats an 11-point lead, and later free throws from Tony Carpio had the Bobcats leading by as much as 13.
Jones led the Bobcats in points with 22, with Nichols' 18 and Carpio's 12 following. Nichols' 12 boards led the Bobcats. Kudlas assisted seven times.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six 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.
