COLUMBUS - After evening its conference record, the Columbus State University men's basketball team will face one of its toughest tests of the season on Saturday hosting UNC Pembroke. The Peach Belt Conference game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center.
The Cougars (7-5, 2-2 PBC) are hitting their stride offensively putting up back-to-back impressive shooting performances. On Wednesday, CSU hit 13 3-pointers in a 92-79 victory over Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga. The 13 threes came a game after the Cougars connected on 16 against Francis Marion on Jan. 4, the most in a game in over 12 years.
Against the Bobcats,
Landrius Horton tied a career-high with 29 points while
Jalen Thomas went 5-for-10 from beyond the arc for 18.
"We are hot, and there's no denying that," commented head coach
Robert Moore. "But, UNC Pembroke is a different kind of challenge for us. They are strong and very physical, and they know how to win on the road in this league."
"The guys are going to have to play a nearly flawless game because UNCP will make you pay for your mistakes. We have rebounded after a slow start to league play, but we need a good statement win and this would be it."
| CSU |
Stats |
UNCP |
| 7-5, 2-2 |
Record |
10-3, 4-1 |
| 79.8 |
PPG |
82.8 |
| 75.8 |
Opp. PPG |
73.4 |
| 46.4% |
FG% |
49.4% |
| 45.6% |
Opp. FG% |
45.1% |
| 35.8 |
Rebs/Game |
37.7 |
| 34.6% |
3PT FG% |
37.1% |
| 35.3% |
Opp. 3PT FG% |
36.5% |
| 64.1% |
FT% |
71.1% |
| 14.3 |
Assists/Game |
17.7 |
| 9.8 |
Steals/Game |
8.0 |
| 1.9 |
Blocks/Game |
5.3 |
Game 13
Opponent: UNC Pembroke
Date: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Site: Lumpkin Center (4,500), Columbus, Ga.
Radio: NewsRadio 540 WDAK - Scott Miller, play-by-play. Mike Sanda, color.
Live Video Stream: Cougar Sports TV
All-time Series: CSU leads 31-11
Last Meeting: Jan. 19, 2019, in Pembroke, N.C. (UNCP 71-64)
About UNC Pembroke
UNC Pembroke (10-3, 4-1 PBC) arrives into Columbus on a four-game winning streak after taking care of business in St. Augustine, Fla. Thursday against Flagler. The Braves shot 52.1 percent and made 11 3-pointers in the 91-73 road win. Jordan Ratliffe and Akia Pruitt each scored 19.
The Braves have plenty of scoring options to turn to. Ratliff (14.2 PPG), David Strother (14.0 PPG), Pruitt (13.6 PPG), and Tyrell Kirk (12.2 PPG) are all scoring threats from beyond the arc. Pruitt is fourth in the PBC in rebounding averaging 8.7 per game. Strother dishes out 4.8 assists per game, the sixth-best mark in the league.
As a team, UNCP pushes the pace averaging 82.8 points per game. They are tough to score on in the paint leading the PBC in total blocks with 69. In comparison, CSU has 23 on the season.
Cougar Notes
• Columbus State is trying for its first three-game winning streak in conference play since the middle of February 2018.
• Over the past two games, the Cougars are shooting 43.9 percent from 3-point range (29-for-66).
• The Cougars have made 13 or more 3-pointers in three out of the previous four games.
• At the Division II level, the Cougars rank 11th in the nation in steals per game (9.8), 24th in turnover margin (4.0), and 24th in turnover forced per game (17.2). Individually, Bryant Givens is 12th in steals per game (2.5).
• The Cougars lead the PBC in steals per game and rank second in field goals made per game (30.4) and offensive rebounds per game (13.3).
• CSU is 4-1 on the season when winning the rebounding margin.
• In PBC games, Givens (15-for-27) and Karl Ivey (8-for-15) are both shooting over 53 percent from 3-point range. (min. 10 attempts).
• Four players are averaging 10 or more points in conference play so far this season (Givens 17.3 PPG, Jalen Thomas 14.5 PPG, Landrius Horton 12.8 PPG, and Anthony Moore 10.3 PPG).
Series History
• Columbus State and UNC Pembroke first met in the 1992-93 season and have played annually since. CSU is 31-11 all-time against the Braves, including a 15-4 record in Columbus.
• The series has tightened up in recent years with UNCP holding a 6-4 record over the Cougars in the previous 10 meetings. The Braves have won three straight, including sweeping a pair of games last season.
• The two sides met in the 2017 PBC Tournament championship game in Greenwood, S.C. with UNCP coming away with the title after an 89-77 win.
Up Next
Columbus State jumps back on the road traveling to Dahlonega, Ga. to take on North Georgia on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The Nighthawks will play a home game against Georgia College on Saturday before hosting the Cougars. UNG is currently 6-7 and 1-4 in the conference.
