MARS HILL, N.C. – The Columbus State Men's Basketball team fell in a heartbreaker Saturday afternoon, dropping a 58–57 loss to North Greenville University at the Mars Hill Classic. The Cougars (1–1) led for long stretches and controlled the paint, but a late North Greenville push proved to be the difference in a one-possession finish.
The Cougars opened the game with strong interior play, outscoring North Greenville 34–30 in the paint and holding a 41–42 edge on the glass. The Cougars took a 30–29 lead into halftime behind 19 first-half points from
Jydon Hall, who carried the offense early and finished with a game-high 19 on 7-of-15 shooting.
Columbus State built its largest lead at 46–33 midway through the period after an explosive stretch that included back-to-back dunks from
Ahmed Soumahoro. But the Trailblazers slowly chipped away behind a red-hot afternoon from Carter Bobbitt, who poured in 26 points on 10-of-22 shooting with five threes.
With the game tied inside the final minute, Columbus State found itself in position to win, but a difficult jumper in the closing seconds missed its mark. North Greenville secured the rebound and held on as the horn sounded.
Alongside Hall,
Marlon Smith delivered 11 points and eight rebounds, while Soumahoro stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, seven boards, three assists, and two highlight-reel dunks.
Jordan Mitchell anchored the defensive effort with a gritty 12-rebound performance.
Up Next:
Columbus State heads to Morrow, Ga., for the Clayton State Classic, taking on Catawba College on Friday, November 21, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
