HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Columbus State University men's basketball team held off a furious rally to defeat the University of Montevallo 69-68 on Sunday afternoon in Huntsville, Ala. 

The Cougars (4-1) were down two, 52-50, with 11:58 left before taking control of the game. CSU rattled off a 15-3 run to open up a 65-55 advantage with less than five to play. Langston Gaither scored six in the spurt, with Christian Chambers adding five.

Montevallo (1-4) wouldn't go down quietly, though. The Falcons struck quick, scoring 10 straight to tie the game at 65 with less than a minute to go. 

Following a Cougar timeout, Chambers calmly nailed a deep 2-point jumper with 38 seconds showing on the clock to give Columbus State the lead.

After a stop on the defensive end and a foul, Nelson Haskin hit both free throws to give CSU a two possession lead and the win.

"This was a typical Columbus State-Montevallo game," added head coach Robert Moore. "Today was a grind, and we had to play our best when it mattered the most. Our guys came through and they deserve credit for finding a way to win this one."

Hunter Preston had a fine performance for the Cougars. The senior had a team-high 17 points after going 6-for-8 from the floor, including a 2-of-3 display from 3-point range. He also added eight rebounds. Gaither (16) and Chambers (16) were also in double figures. 

UM jumped out to a 7-2 lead before Columbus State's offense woke up. After tying the game at nine, CSU took its first lead at the 14-minute mark when Chambers knocked down a jumper to push the Cougars in front 13-12.

Late in the first, Montevallo held a five-point advantage before Columbus State inched back. Down the stretch, the Cougars scored six of the final nine points of the half, including getting a 3-pointer from Preston, to gain the 36-34 halftime lead. 

Columbus State shot 40% (24-for-60) from the floor, despite a 6-for-25 (24%) performance from deep. The Cougars were 15-for-17 at the free throw line.

Braxton Bertolette and Monte-Aaris Bonds led Montevallo in scoring with 17 and 14 points, respectively. 

UP NEXT
The Cougars will enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to the court on Saturday, Nov. 27 against the University of West Georgia. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. in Carrollton, Ga. 

GAME NOTES
• CSU's 24% mark from beyond the arc was a season low. 
• The Cougars dished out a season-high 14 assists. Gaither paced the team with five. 
• Columbus State grabbed a season-high 41 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards. CSU turned those into 15 second-chance points compared to just eight from Montevallo
• The Cougars haven't shot worse than 71% from the free throw line in any game this season. Over the last two games, CSU is 19-for-22 (86.4%) at the charity stripe 
• The lead changed hands 18 different times