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COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University men's basketball team dropped its third straight game on Wednesday night, losing 95-80 to North Georgia. The Peach Belt Conference contest was played in the Lumpkin Center.
 
JaCori Payne had another standout night, going for 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Marcus Dixon matched his career high with 23 points, adding seven rebounds.
 
"We're struggling right now, especially on the defensive end of the floor," head coach Robert Moore said. "Our guys need to come with more focus, energy and effort on defense if we're going to improve."
 
Columbus State (2-6, 2-3 PBC) fell behind right off the bat, trailing 14-5 three minutes into the evening. The lead then ballooned out to 15 at 37-22 before the Cougars came to life.
 
Payne buried a 3-pointer with just over six minutes until halftime, launching the Cougars into a 9-0 run to get back within six.
 
North Georgia (4-7, 2-3) stemmed the tide with a 3-pointer, but the Cougars kept fighting back with seven unanswered to make it a two-point game. UNG hit two more 3s before the half, but John Lambert sent CSU into the locker room with some momentum on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it a 46-41 contest.
 
Columbus State hung around in the early stages of the second half, with Dixon pulling the deficit to just three at 54-51 with an athletic three-point play.
 
However, UNG quickly stretched the lead out to double figures and CSU would get no closer than nine the rest of the way.
 
The Cougars shot 45.3 percent (29-for-64) from the field and went 7-of-20 from the 3-point line.
 
Columbus State will be on the road Saturday as the Cougars travel to Augusta. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.