HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A strong second half by the University of Alabama at Huntsville doomed the Columbus State University men's basketball team on Saturday as the Chargers handed the Cougars a 77-64 loss.

The Cougars (3-1) were up 35-28 at the half and went up 10 after Hunter Preston nailed a 3-pointer on CSU's first shot of the second half. However, the Chargers rattled off the game's next 19 points over the next four minutes, going a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the spurt. 

UAH was able to protect its double-digit lead for the remainder of the game to hand CSU its first loss of the season.

Deven-Porter Wilson had a career game for Columbus State. Wilson scored 20 after going 7-for-13 from the field, including a 6-for-11 mark from deep. Christian Chambers finished the game with 16, but failed to score in the second half. 

"We knew coming in that UAH could hit shots and that's what happened tonight," commented head coach Robert Moore. "Our defense did a good job in the first half in shutting them down, but we left too many guys open in the second." 

Both teams struggled to score early in the game with the score tied at seven nearly eight minutes into the half. Chambers would then hit back-to-back 3's for CSU, with Wilson adding another one, to push the Cougars in front 16-9 at the 11:19 mark. 

Columbus State never relinquished the lead in the half thanks in part to a 10-4 run to close the period. 

The Cougars shot 35.5% (23-for-65) from the field and hit 14 of its 42 3-pointers (33.3%). 

Luke Burnett scored 20 points for UAH with three others adding 15 or more.

UP NEXT
Columbus State will remain in Huntsville to take on an old Peach Belt Conference rival in the University of Montevallo on Sunday at 3 p.m. eastern time.

GAME NOTES
• The 42 attempted 3-pointers by the Cougars are the most in the Robert Moore era (beginning in the 2010-11 season)
• After going 3-for-16 from deep in the first half, UAH was 7-for-18 in the second
• The Cougars have blocked at least five shots in all four games this year
• CSU's 35.4% mark from the floor was a season low
• It was the 300th career game as head coach of the Cougars for Moore. He is 167-133 in his 11-plus year tenure