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By:
Stephen Williams
COLUMBUS – Returning to Peach Belt Conference action, the Columbus State University men's basketball team will welcome UNC Pembroke to the Lumpkin Center on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Cougars took a lead in the second minute and never looked back in an 87-71 victory over Auburn Montgomery on Saturday.
Arben Camaj,
Darius Joell and
JaCori Payne each finished with 18 points to lead the Cougars.
Moore on the Matchup
"UNC Pembroke is very tough. They took a tough loss on Monday, so we know they will be coming in here with a little extra motivation. We have to play a full 40 minutes if we want to win."
Series History
Columbus State and UNC Pembroke will meet for the 36
th time on Wednesday night. The Cougars hold a 28-7 margin over the Braves, but the series has been tightly contested in recent years. CSU is just 4-3 against UNCP in the last seven meetings.
Last Meeting
The Cougars opened up a 13-point margin at halftime and made the lead stand up in an 82-69 win December 17, 2015 in Columbus. Four different Cougars scored in double figures, including
JaCori Payne with 15.
About UNC Pembroke
UNC Pembroke (9-3, 2-1 PBC) had won four straight games prior to an 80-78 loss to Augusta on Monday.
The Braves have been outstanding on the offensive end this season, ranking second in the conference at 86.5 points per game.
UNCP also leads the league in assists per game (16.8), steals per game (10.2) and blocks per game (5.5).
Five different Braves are scoring in double figures, led by junior Nigel Grant at 15.4 points per night.
CSU Notes
Columbus State (8-1, 1-1) leads the Peach Belt Conference in scoring, averaging 88.0 points per contest.
The Cougars have scored more than 80 points in every game this season.
CSU has been strong on the defensive side against the three-pointer this season, sitting fifth in the country with opponents shooting just 28.1 percent from outside.
Marcus Dixon pulled down his seventh double-digit rebounding game on Saturday. The junior currently ranks second in the country at 12.2 boards per night.
Media Coverage
Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on NewsRadio 540 WDAK and streamed on CougarSportsTV with CSU Hall of Fame broadcaster Scott Miller on the call.
