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COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University men's basketball team shook off a two-game slide with a 76-66 victory over Francis Marion on Monday. The Peach Belt Conference contest was played inside the Lumpkin Center.
 
Rudy Winters led the Cougars with 18 points. JaCori Payne added 16, while Darius Joell pitched in 14. Marcus Dixon tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
 
"We have challenged our guys to be better on both ends of the court and I thought they put together a pretty good performance today," head coach Robert Moore said. "A lot of guys stepped up when JaCori was struggling and this was a really good team win."
 
Columbus State (4-8, 4-5 PBC) opened the game on a 13-5 run and led for the first 12 minutes of action. However, the Patriots battled back and a late basket sent the Cougars to the locker room at halftime trailing 33-31.
 
The lead went back and forth early in the second half, but the Cougars used a 6-0 spurt to break a 40-all tie.
 
Francis Marion (9-5, 4-5) wouldn't let the game get outside of two possessions though, answering back to take a 61-58 advantage with under seven minutes to go. Dixon got the Cougars back within one, and Joell's second 3-pointer of the day seesawed CSU in front for the final time.
 
Leading 67-65, Winters buried one from outside to stretch the margin to five and Payne converted after a steal by Dixon to force a FMU timeout with the Cougars up seven and just over a minute to play.
 
CSU took care of business from there, putting the game away down the stretch for the victory.
 
The Cougars finished the night at 46.4 percent (26-for-56) from the field and 6-of-19 from the 3-point line. However, CSU was lights out in the second half, knocking down 16-of-26 (61.5 percent) overall and 4-of-8 from long distance.
 
CSU won the battle on the glass as well, outrebounding the Patriots 40-33.
 
Columbus State will finish its run of three straight home games on Wednesday night against Georgia College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.